Resurgence
by Epsarrow
Summary: AU starting at Turn, Turn, Turn of season 1 and continuing onwards where Ward is not a traitor. Contains the full season 1 team! Will have some whump, violence, probably language. Ward will do anything to protect the team he cares about and SHIELD. Will not follow in line with later episodes and will likely not include season 2 and 3 additional cast.
1. Crashing Down

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed. I kind of liked the series better when Ward was a part of the team, and gradually liked seasons 2 and 3 less as time went on. Anyone else feel the same way?

* * *

 **Crashing Down**

Ward's body was aching from the fight earlier with the Hydra sleepers, but as he wandered the corner his jaw nearly dropped in surprise. Garrett, his former SO, was being arrested. He looked to Victoria Hand, a question in his eyes.

"He is the Clairvoyant," she said, nodding to Garrett, who looked around at everyone with a sneer on his face.

Ward stared in disbelief. He had trained under Garrett. He had worked with Garrett on the mission to the compound to find the drug that would save Skye's life. They had joked together and fought together. Anger suddenly swept through him. Garrett was the one who had given the order for Quinn to shoot Skye. And just like that, Ward knew he would be the one to kill Garrett.

"Let me go with you. I want to see him locked away forever," Ward said coldly.

Hand nodded.

Later, on the jet, he listened to her telling him he could put Garrett down. And he so wanted to. He wanted revenge for the lies, for the deaths, and for everything Garrett had done to _his_ team. And as he picked up the gun to follow the order, Garrett gave him one of those knowing smiles. He froze. Because he knew something was going to go wrong.

"You should pick your guards more carefully, Agent Hand. Don't you know by now that you can't trust anyone?" Garrett said, a smug grin on his face.

Ward saw the two guards lift their own weapons, pointing them at Hand. And suddenly he was lunging forward, putting himself between them and her as he fired his own weapon. One guard went down. He felt something hot in his chest, and then the second guard was down. He heard a yell behind him. His own name? And then he was sliding to the ground, feeling sick. Gradually the shock faded and he realized he had been shot in the chest. His next breath was painful, and he felt a small spasm in his lung. His world spun as Hand caught him and lowered him carefully to the ground.

The hard lump pressing into his back told him the bullet had completely ripped through his vest, chest, and then lodged into the vest on the other side. Pain was slowly beginning to blossom and although the area around the wound felt scalding hot, the rest of his body felt cold. Shock.

"Hang on Agent Ward," Hand said, pressing down on his chest. He had all he could do to not writhe in pain and hold still.

Then he saw Garrett, standing and unbound. He tried to speak, to warn her. He coughed instead, and blood coated the inside of his mouth. He grimaced and tried again. "Garrett" the word came out slurred. But she turned and saw the former agent - the traitor - standing there with a smug look on his face, a weapon pointed at them. Something told Ward Garrett wasn't going to shoot, but it still made rage pulse through him.

"I told you, Ward. Your emotions will get you killed," Garrett sneered.

"That's not... a bad way to go," Ward wheezed, glaring as best as he could at his former SO. He didn't have enough air to insinuate what he meant, but he was sure Garrett would figure it out.

Garrett's expression turned cold. "I won't kill you. I want you to see what's happened to your precious SHIELD. And your precious team," he sneered.

Ward felt a knot of dread. He couldn't protect his team from here, and he had no idea if they were okay. What if someone went after them? He refused to let the dread show on his face, however, not wanting to give Garrett any sign of satisfaction. Instead, he let his eyes close and focused on breathing, which was rapidly becoming more difficult as he continued to bleed.

"You won't get away with this," Agent Hand warned, although her voice lacked her usual conviction. There was anger laced in the words, but she was the one with a gun pointed at her head.

Garrett laughed. Ward could almost see that smug smirk on his face even with his eyes closed, and it made him want to punch him in the face. "I already have."

Ward resisted the urge to roll his eyes. So cliche.

It was possible that at some point Agent Hand and Garrett had a nice long talk about ethics, but by then his mind zoned out of the real world and eventually into the land of unconsciousness. When he woke, he was rewarded with the sound of a heart monitor beeping, the feeling of tubes in his arms, and the lovely feeling of a much larger tube shoved down his throat. Despite himself, he started to gag slightly, instincts wanting the tube removed, instantly. Regardless of whether it was good or bad.

"Agent Ward, please calm down," a male voice said, and he tried to lean forward slightly so he could see who it was. Pain stabbed into his chest and he dropped back, wincing. "You're in a hospital. Since you can breath on your own you no longer need that." The man stepped into his line of vision. To his relief it was a nurse, and he even had credentials that matched a real hospital. He didn't know how they got off that jet or what happened but at least he wasn't a prisoner of HYDRA... or so he hoped. He prepared himself for the uncomfortable - but not completely unfamiliar - feeling of the tube sliding out of his throat. It took a major effort not to throw up instantly, and he took several moments to compose himself.

"Do you remember what happened?" The nurse - Henry Pol - asked.

"Yes... I was shot. Where is Agent Hand?" He asked, worried. What if something happened to her when he passed out?

"After she dropped you off here she went to coordinate with the surviving SHIELD teams," Henry responded. He must be in a SHIELD facility somewhere, if the nurse had ideas of what was going on.

"And... my team? Agent Coulson?" He asked, hopeful that he had any idea what was going on.

Henry waited a moment before responding. "We have not had any contact with them since the incident. But we have every reason to believe they escaped."

Ward hoped he was right. He wanted to believe him, not just because it would feel better... but because he needed his team. And they needed him. Although in his current condition he wouldn't be extremely useful, he had to get to them somehow. He nodded, sighed, then winced in pain. Right... a bullet in the lung.

"The bullet passed straight through your vest, into your lung, and exited out your back, only to get lodged in the other side of your vest. We repaired the damage as best we could but you will need to take it very easy for several weeks to heal. No lifting, exertion... and especially no fighting," Henry fixed him with a stern look that he was certain Hand had put him up to. Ward frowned, because he wasn't good at taking it easy, especially not with what had just happened.

"Fighting might not be avoidable," he responded.

Henry sighed. "I know. We have lost many people and the attacks are still happening."

For once Ward was impressed. A nurse who understood that taking it easy wasn't always an option. A nurse who understood duty and what it meant to a specialist when it came to his team. He knew he would get an earful from Simmons if she knew.

"How long before I can leave? I need to contact my team and make sure they're alright," Ward said. It wasn't really a request. He was going to do it regardless.

"You can try to contact them any time. But don't take off just yet. Your body isn't strong enough," Henry responded, his glare increasing. He had probably dealt with other agents before and knew how they were. Ward, however, resisted a sigh. He didn't have time to wait for his body to heal. He had a team to protect.

And that's how he found himself standing outside the hospital, trembling from exhaustion, chest aching and suddenly wishing he had actually listened for once. He had tried calling different members of his team with no luck. He didn't want to think about what that could mean.

And then his phone rang. He pulled it out and felt a wave of relieve when he saw that Skye was calling him. "Skye?" He said instantly when he answered his phone. Her voice at the other end, and not the voice of some insane HYDRA agent keeping her hostage confirmed that everything was okay. Well, at least, she was okay. "Ward! We're all okay. We're at a secret base of Fury's. How did the transport go?" She asked.

It occurred to him that they had no idea what had happened. They must not have made contact with Agent Hand.

"It's best we discuss that in person," he responded, not quite willing to talk about what happened over the phone. He glanced around himself. He didn't know who could be listening, and as it was, he needed to see his team face to face to be 100% sure they were okay. "Where can I get to you?" He asked.

Secret base sounded rather mysterious, but Fury had always been an extremely paranoid person, and he wouldn't be surprised if the late director had many of those around the world that only he and a select few people knew about. It was also probably one of the safest places on the planet for any of them to go. He wouldn't put it past Garrett to hunt down his team just for the sole purpose of hurting him.

"Well... do you think you can get a plane to the wilderness of Canada?" She asked. He frowned. He probably could. But why on earth would anyone build a secret base there? Technology didn't work too well in the cold wet places. "I can send you the coordinates. Don't bring anything metal with you, or you'll get shot at. Tell the sentry your name," she said.

Fury was more paranoid that even Ward had given him credit for.

He had to sigh. Then he had to wince in pain. His chest was throbbing and his head was swimming, but most of the planes had an autopilot, so he could probably just relax on the way and not stress out his body too much. Simmons was going to kill him. The thought of it made him smile, as he stumbled unsteadily out to borrow a plane from whatever SHIELD facility was still operational or not completely destroyed.


	2. Frozen Breath

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed.

 **Author's Discussion:** Glad I'm not the only one on team Ward! I'm extremely disappointed with the season 3 finale (and season 2 lol)... [spoiler] by the time I started to actually like Hunter, they got rid of him... and I liked Lincoln too, and then they did that! [/end spoiler]

* * *

 **Frozen Breath**

Ward was fuming. It was bitterly cold, windy, and snow was falling freshly on his head as he limped through knee-deep snow heading towards the coordinates on his phone. Every movement sent a fresh stab of pain in his chest, and breathing was gradually getting harder and more painful with every ice cold inhale. A nagging cough had sunk into him and there was pain in his lung and he was worried that his little excursion with no rest between injury and now was making things worse. But he wasn't going to stop now. That didn't mean he wasn't angry.

Angry at Fury for being so damned paranoid that he picked the furthest corner of the Canadian wilderness to plop down a secret base, surrounded by hundreds of miles of trees.

Angry at SHIELD for being absolutely no help to him - even though he couldn't really be angry because he knew whatever was left of SHIELD was completely overwhelmed. The latest attack on the Fridge that Hand had spoken to him about when he had gone for a plane was also worrisome. But he had bigger worries on his mind.

He was also angry at the team for having not responded to him at all other than vague messages of coordinates... and did they really have to come out to this frozen wasteland?

Above all, anger was burning inside him at Garrett, at HYDRA, and at all the traitors within SHIELD. Garrett, most of all. Ward tried not to be the kind of person to kill someone in cold blood, but he wanted to be the one to put Garrett down. And then wipe out HYDRA, severing every single head and every single loyalist until their name was wiped out of existence.

A cough sent him staggering to his knees and he wrapped his arms around his chest in pain. Each breath came out with a puff of cold air, and he was certain he could feel the insides of his lungs freezing solid.

Of course, that was merely his imagination. Right?

He got back up and trudged on, slowly reaching the destination, worry for his team giving him strength. His stuff limp, made worse by the throbbing sensation down his side with each step, left an uneven trail in the snow. It would eventually be filled in by the snow falling, if the wind blowing didn't give any warning of a large storm coming in. Which meant he had to hurry to get his ass to the safe house sooner than later.

He coughed again, leaning against a tree for support. Droplets of dark blood splattered on his hand. Dark, in his mind, meant old. Hopefully he hadn't reopened the carefully closed sutures keeping his lung from splitting open.

A few more steps brought him to the 'destination' point, but for a moment, nothing happened. Then a metal sentry popped up from the snow, pointing a weapon directly at him. A robotized voice sought his credentials, and he was fairly sure if he didn't give any then the thing would blast him out of the planet. Hopefully no adventuring hikers had run into this thing and gotten blown up. That would look bad on Fury's record.

 _Fury is dead_ , he reminded himself solemnly. The thought was hard to believe. Fury and Coulson had been good friends, and he knew his boss would need his support.

Remembering what Skye had said, he spoke quickly and clearly. "Agent Grant Ward, with SHIELD," he said.

There was a moment where nothing happened, and then, seemingly accepting his word, it sank away into the ground. Ward wondered what would happen if someone who wasn't him tried to claim to be him. Did the sentry had equipment that scanned his face and matched it with his file from SHIELD? Or did it just assume that no non-SHIELD agent would know a shield agent's name?

He shook his head, deciding not to question it, and just watched with amazement as an opening appeared in the snow and an entrance rose to the surface.

It was official. Fury was _the_ most paranoid man on the planet.

Ward realized, with everything going on, that perhaps he had a reason to be.

As he entered the complex, he saw Coulson and Skye approaching him, and tried his best to appear uninjured and fine. Perhaps he wasn't as good as that as he thought, because both of them frowned instantly and Skye's expression grew concerned.

"Ward, I told you to tell it your name immediately!" She said, her voice raising a few pitches above necessary.

He rocked back in surprise.

"I did!"

"Then why do you have blood on your chest, and look like a ghost?" She asked.

Ward blinked and looked down. He did indeed have blood on his chest. He must have torn the stitches on the wound awhile ago, because his three layers of clothing had already been bled through. He couldn't have helped the paleness. He felt like crap.

"Oh that wasn't from the sentry," he said casually, wanting to shrug it off.

There was way too much to talk about without getting everyone all worried about his injury.

"Agent Ward," Coulson said sternly. The kind of voice that said 'don't try and hide anything or I'll find out the hard way.'

Ward sighed. "A HYDRA agent shot me on the jet to bring Garrett to the Fridge. Garrett's escaped, Sir," he said unhappily, knowing that the news would most definitely not make Coulson happy. As expected, a dark shadow passed over Coulson's face at the news. He wouldn't like what else Ward would have to tell him either.

"You were shot?" Skye asked, incredulous. "And you decided to come out here and walk all the way to the compound with a bullet in your chest?" She was glaring at him with annoyance but he could easily detect the concern in her voice.

"Well of course not... I got out of the hospital and then I came here. I must have torn the stitches when I fell," he said, annoyed, as if his course of action was obvious.. Sure, he was an idiot. But he wasn't _that_ big of an idiot. And since he had been coughing up blood and unable to move on the jet there wouldn't have been any way for him to have gotten here previous. But they had no idea what had happened... he had to remember that.

"Okay, enough. Simmons will take care of your wound, and when everything is all set - and only when she says it is - you will let us know everything that happened. Is that clear?" Coulson asked, looking between Ward and Skye who looked as though she wanted to argue.

"Yes sir," Ward said easily enough.

Simmons was furious. "Who in their right mind told you it would be okay to leave the hospital and go on a hike in the frozen wilderness - with a Nor'Easter moving in that day - within the same day you came out of surgery?" She asked in her angry British accent, while at the same time, gently poking around the edges of the bullet wound. He winced.

"No one... I did it on my own," he responded testily, and prepared himself from the verbal beating he was about to receive.

There was a long moment of silence. He tensed, poker faced, and squinted in preparation, catching sight of Fitz giving him a sympathetic glance from beyond Simmons's shoulder. "And why exactly would you do that? You have reopened your wound, and from the sound of your breathing, your punctured lung is not doing well. The reason why you are supposed to take it easy is because your lung needs to heal, and any potential stress could cause rupture of the sutures, or an infection, or all kinds of things!" Her voice rose a bit but not nearly to the level he had been anticipating.

Ward waited until he was dead certain she was finished before responding. "I couldn't sit in a hospital bed not knowing if you all were okay," his response was short, simple, and to the point. And quiet.

A split second later he had another coughing fit, and curled into himself at the pain searing his chest. Simmons had instantly moved her suturing needle away and leaned him forward, which for some reason eased the pressure. When he moved his hand away it came speckled once again with blood, this time, bright.

"How long have you been coughing like that?" Simmons asked, easing him back down.

"After I got out of the hospital I didn't start coughing until I arrived here," he responded, thinking about it. "Not long after I started walking through the snow."

Simmons glared at him, but the glare was softened with worry and didn't carry anywhere near the amount of weight it would normally. "I'm going to give you some antibiotics. I don't think you tore the sutures or you would be coughing up a lot more blood and would be in significantly more pain. I forbid you from going anywhere out in the cold weather. The Bus is fine. But if you want to avoid coming down with pneumonia then you'll want to do as I say," she said. She put a lot of emphasis on that last part, and he knew she wouldn't let him anywhere near the outside of the compound until she deemed him physically fit. Which could be awhile. He scowled at that.

"And what about all these bruises?" She asked, tracing the heavy bruising on his stomach, sides, and back. He had almost forgotten about that. The bullet wound had pretty much taken over the pain center of his brain, rendering the lesser injuries... unimportant.

"Fighting with HYDRA agents at the base... before Garrett escaped," he responded. "It's just bruises, my vest took most of the hits," he added. That was back when there were a dozen agents in the hall, and he had to either take them all down or die trying, or Skye would be found and potentially killed. He refused to have let that happen. And although it was true his vest had taken most of the hits, getting kicked a few dozen times while down was still damaging to his body.

Simmons heaved a sigh. "Just because you can handle some pain doesn't mean you shouldn't let us know... we're here to help you, Ward," she said quietly.

Fitz, realizing the lecture was over, finally pipped up.

"Even all powerful super agents have to take breaks."

Ward smiled.

Later, the rest of the team had gathered and he was recounting everything that had happened.

"The two agents that were on the jet with me, Hand, and Garrett were HYDRA agents. They pulled out their weapons and went to shoot Hand, so I stopped them. Garrett had been broken free, though, and I think he is planning something big." Most of that flight following getting shot was a massive gaping hole in his memory, so he went to the next thing he remembered. "Agent Ward contacted me at the hospital and told me the Fridge had been overtaken by Garrett's forces, and they stole most of the armory of 0-8-4s and dangerous weapons, as well as releasing all of the prisoners," he looked away from Coulson as he said that, already seeing the anger flashing into the agent's eyes.

Most of those prisoners were dangerous criminals who had killed many people. And several of them had powers that they couldn't control - or could control and chose to hurt innocent people.

"That's bad, right?" Skye asked. She was probably the only one who didn't know what the Fridge truly held.

"Very," May confirmed.

"I need to contact someone," Coulson said and left the room in a hurry.

Ward and the team stared after him, unsure of what was wrong. Did Fury know something about what was in the Fridge that the rest of them didn't?

Something told Ward that things were only going to get much worse.


	3. The Strike

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed.

 **Author's Discussion:** Let me know in the reviews if there are many major errors. I tend to be a bit lazy about proof reading but if something really stands out or doesn't make sense then let me know! Also there will be a deviation from normal events... because I just can't write about something that isn't action for even a single chapter! Also, I feel like this chapter was kind of meh... I wrote it after work over two days and I got more tired each day but I needed to get a chapter out because I felt bad for not updating yesterday. Anyway let me know... also let me know if you want anything to appear. I don't usually write romance or pairings but might include something if people really want it.

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 **The Strike**

Ward had no trouble with the lie detector test, which he found a rather odd way to determine if anyone was a sleeper agent, other than the pain in his chest making his base line slightly abnormal from the start. It amazed him how such a jovial and energetic man like Koenig could also be so stern and dangerous. Apparently, in order for them to leave, they had to take the test. The rest of the team was going to go on a mission to rescue someone from Coulson's past from one of the escaped criminals in the Fridge. He didn't quite know the details since Coulson didn't share many, but he knew it had to be important. He was to remain with Koenig and Skye and wait for their return.

Ward wanted to go with them to help but he wouldn't be much use with his injury, and Simmons had already given him a murderous stare when he attempted to go along. So he found himself in the closest thing to a living area as there was, playing Battleship with Skye.

"You sank my Battleship," Skye groaned, giving him a mock glare.

"When don't I?" He asked, trying to keep the smile off is face. She snorted at him, then proceeded to find the position of his longest ship. "Damn it," he grumbled, marking it with a peg.

"You always put one there," she teased.

"Do I?" He asked. He tried to remember. He coughed suddenly, hot pain searing through his chest. No blood came this time, but he couldn't hide the wince at the stabbing pain it caused. He pretended not to see Skye's eyes sharpen with concern, although she avoided asking if he was alright, which she had done the past several times. The answer would've been the same old lie. At least the cough wasn't as severe and the interval between the bouts was increasing.

"Simmons miracle pills are working," he rasped, as best a joke as he could manage.

"Miracle pills you only needed because you hightailed it out here," Skye spoke wryly.

Ward shrugged it off. He'd rather be here any day than in the hospital sitting around unable to help anyone. Even though he still couldn't help anyone, he could at least be here where his team would be. He at least knew they were okay. It seemed strange to not be going on the mission with them. Instead, Tripp was going with them, and although Ward was happy they had a specialist with them, he couldn't help but feel a slight hint of jealousy. He should be out there, not him.

Though if Ward had been smarter he may have seen Garrett's treachery before any of this could have happened. And then things would be normal, and the team wouldn't be hiding in a base somewhere out in wilderness, to hide from HYDRA.

Ward wanted nothing more than to take the fight to them and destroy them, once and for all.

But first he had to heal.

"Agents! It seems we have a problem."

Ward nearly jumped out of his skin when Koenig strolled casually into the room, looking like there was nothing wrong when his words said otherwise. Ward stood up, one hand instinctively moving to his chest to keep pressure, which actually helped ease the pain somewhat.

"What's wrong?" He asked, immediately tensing.

"It seems the Bus your team mates came in on earlier was actually tracked, by some program. Our sensors have alerted me to incoming warplanes, most likely HYDRA. We must evacuate to a secondary base quietly, and without being tracked. You must also notify your team to not return here," he added, still sounding extremely cheerful.

"How?" Skye wondered aloud.

Ward puzzled over it only for a few seconds. "Many high ranking SHIELD agents, probably including those that designed and built the Bus, were HYDRA sleepers. We should go over the planes and make sure there's nothing built in that could be tracking us, and remove any obsolete software," he said, looking at Skye as he did so, knowing she would be the best person for the latter job.

"I guess that makes sense," she said, sounding somewhat sad.

"Fury had an escape route built into the compound, nearly impenetrable to anything save the direct hit of a missile. We will be safe in there," Koenig said, sounding suddenly more sober, though still rather cheerful. Ward doubted the man could ever be anything except joyous.

 _Of course he did... an escape room inside a secret base,_ he thought.

A loud _slam_ somewhere above them made the room shake. "Let's get moving," Ward said, as dust fell from the ceiling on them.

"Right this way please," the chipper agent led them through several rooms, and Ward carefully steadied his breathing to avoid another coughing fit. If he started coughing now then he would have to stop and then he would be putting everyone else at risk. Trudging on, they all stumbled to the ground when a much larger explosion blasted its way through the top of the compound and sent snow and thick sheets of metal ceiling raining down on the room they just left. Koenig tsked. "Some people have no respect." Was he sad that his likely 'home' was being blown to bits? It was hard to tell. He sounded perfectly happy.

But Ward knew more than many people that what people sounded like was often a far cry than what they were feeling inside. Just as that thought passed through them the very ground they were standing on shifted beneath their feet, and he pitched forward at the same moment the others fell back.

He heard the sound of gunfire, which told him HYDRA had infiltrated the compound and were not taking any prisoners.

He coughed from the sudden fall, wheezed, then forced himself unsteadily to his feet. His chest hurt like it was on fire - a fire that went straight through him like a rod. Skye was giving him a worried look as she got up, and he quickly looked her over to make sure she was fine.

"Stop worrying about me and start worrying about you," Skye said, shaking her head.

"We may want to hurry," Koenig suggested, not looking back but continuing his steady rush forward. At the end of a long hallway - why was it always one of those? - was one of those doors a person would find at the entrance of a bomb shelter. Most bomb shelters could survive a bomb simply because they are underground, but a direct hit would be extremely risky. Of course, this one _was_ under ground, but it would bet he target of HYDRA's heavy artillery the moment they found it.

If SHIELD even got to it in time.

The sound of gunfire was getting closer.

Ward was moving as fast as he could, his breathing getting harsher by the moment, pain stabbing through most of his upper body. His vision was swirling and for some reason the only thing he could think of was Simmons kicking his ass when she found out what he was doing.

She would probably rather he got shot again.

Ward's eyes opened in time to see a several droplets of blood splash into the wall in front of his face. He flinched, startled, but didn't feel any pain in his own body. He whipped his head around to see Skye, for some reason he couldn't comprehend, behind him, a red splotch on her shoulder. It took him far longer than it should have to realize she had been trying to protect him, by, for some reason, using her body as a shield. Why? He would rather he got shot again than her.

Then the door slammed shut, and he realized they had gotten through it, leaving behind the HYDRA agents who fired uselessly at its bulk.

He also realized he had stopped breathing, pain blocking his throat. He gasped in a sharp breath, even as the world tilted sideways and he fell on his back, somewhat dazed. Breathing would be far easier if it didn't hurt so much. It would also be easier if he could see to make sure Skye was okay.

"Ward? What's wrong?" Skye asked, holding her bleeding shoulder and moving into his narrowing line of vision.

"I'm fine," he rasped, then took several more moments to catch his breath. "Let me look at that, you're hurt." He felt guilty because she shouldn't have been hurt protecting him. He was the one who was supposed to be taking the bullets.

"I'm fine. I'm not the one who collapsed," she sounded annoyed. With him? "And you tore your stitches _again_."

Simmons was definitely going to kill him. After, Coulson was going to kill him for letting Skye get hurt. Ward was probably going to let him.

"Your wound is fresh," Ward argued, finally starting to get to his feet, leaning heavily on the wall behind him.

"Calm down, both of you. Once we get into the escape jet we'll be in a safe place in no time!" Mr. Cheerful interrupted them, seeming to not be bothered by anything. Ward was increasingly convinced this man was not fully human.

"Escape jet?" Ward asked.

Then he looked around. And there was indeed, a magnificent looking jet - small, but really nice looking. When he said 'in no time' he really meant it.

"Only Fury..." Ward muttered.

"Can you walk?" Skye asked. He probably couldn't, but he was certainly not going to say that.

"Can you?" He asked. She looked pale, and he saw a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead. The splotch of blood had grown much bigger in the meantime, and she didn't look nearly as steady as she had earlier.

A loud boom didn't shake the base but still made him nervous.

With each other's help they got into the jet while Koenig went to the control panel. Yet again HYDRA had found them, but at least they could escape. Ward was tired of running.

"We're going to take the fight to them," he said, looking at Skye, who met his look with a nod of agreement.


	4. Relocation

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed.

 **Author's Discussion:** Let me know in the reviews if there are many major errors. I tend to be a bit lazy about proof reading but if something really stands out or doesn't make sense then let me know! Also there will be a deviation from normal events... because I just can't write about something that isn't action for even a single chapter! Also, I feel like this chapter was kind of meh... Today was my day off from work and school! Yay! (thanks for the reviews 3). I will try to do some Skyeward but I must warn you my romance is very cheesy and I'm terrible at it. But the canon romance between them was rather laid back also, so maybe it own't be too hard! I see two requests: Skye taking care of Ward  & Skyeward, and I think I can do a little of both in this chapter (maybe more of the latter).

Also... I LOVE Ward whump... can't you tell?

* * *

 **Relocation**

The jet took off like a bat out of hell. Ward was vaguely aware of a feeling like he was being sucked out through his seat before it suddenly stabilized. They rocketed through the air so fast he wondered if the HYDRA agents even saw them go by. Once he settled back into the seat he took a glance at Skye. She was holding onto her shoulder with a hand that was growing rapidly redder. He took in a deep breath, got up and sat down behind her so he could help with her wound. His own was bleeding sluggishly, fortunately nothing more than torn stitches rather than a brand new injury. It wouldn't bleed nearly as fast. His chest ached though and he had to breath extremely shallowly. A faint itch burrowed deep in his chest.

That was probably a bad sign but it beat having another bullet in an even less desirable place.

"I'm sure this thing has a first aid kit somewhere. Since it belongs to Fury," he said, adding the second sentence as an afterthought. Knowing what Fury was like, there would probably be three. Sure enough, he only needed to open 4 of the side cabinets in each before a small first aid kit tumbled out. "Just what we need..." Sutures, gauze, bandages, alcohol pads, and all kinds of creams for various purposes.

He coughed painfully and drew in a wheezing breath, wishing he didn't have the feeling of glass shards in his chest. If HYDRA could just leave him alone for a day or three he could start to heal and then be of some use.

"Maybe you should use some of that on yourself," Skye suggested somewhat icily, knowing full well he was ignoring his own injury.

"I'm not bleeding to death," he shrugged, wishing he hadn't when it tugged painfully at him. "Anyway, no gauze or bandaids will make me stop coughing," he added, refusing to give in to the throbbing that was starting to take over his being again. He had more important things to worry about than the complaints his body was sending to his brain. "Once we get wherever we're supposed to get then they can do the real work, I just need to stop the bleeding before you pass out." He had stitched many wounds before. Many of them even his own. He had dealt with many bullet wounds. But most of the time, those were from highly trained agents who could handle pain well. Skye wasn't a trained agent, but she had been shot before. But she was still Skye, and he felt nervous, not wanting to cause her more pain even if it was for the better.

"Give me the needle," she snapped, surprising him. "You're shaking, and if you start coughing that needle's not going to go where you want it to go."

He blinked. He was shaking? He then realized his hand was definitely shaking. And his arm. And so was the rest of him, and he hadn't even noticed. He felt rather cold, now that he was thinking of himself and not her, and realized Simmons's concerns might have had some truth in them.

"How about no needles," he responded, voice sounding tired despite the mask he had placed over it. "You've lost a lot of blood." He didn't want her hurting herself.

Plan B said a huge wad of gauze could help slow bleeding, and although it wasn't as good as stitches, it might be enough to get her somewhere safe where she could get her wound taken care of by a professional.

He checked for an exit wound, and frowned when he saw there wasn't actually one there. It had entered through the back of her shoulder and stopped somewhere inside, which meant a doctor was going to have to fish it out since he wasn't sure he would be able to. "Can you put pressure on this?" He asked, pressing gauze directly on the wound which would hurt, but at the same time, slow the bleeding enough that the body may be able to continue the clotting process, preventing her from bleeding out. His hand shook as he did so, and he wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed that before.

Sometimes he got tunnel vision, when someone he cared about was in danger or hurt.

"We will be arriving at our destination in less than 15 minutes!" Koenig called from where he was sitting at the pilot's seat. Ward was fairly certain the jet had autopilot but he figured Koenig wanted to see the world after being underground for who knows how long in that compound. The now destroyed compound.

"Yes, I can," Skye responded to his earlier question and held the already pink-tinted gauze to the back of her shoulder.

The rest of the ride continued in an awkward, but brooding silence. Skye's face was tense with pain but her eyes were elsewhere, probably going over the past day's events in her mind, trying to process. Ward, having done so already, since he had dealt with such situations many times, was deciding what to do next. How to strike at them the best. The first step was meeting back up with Coulson and the rest of the team when they were done their mission, and then getting some intel on HYDRA and striking them in the best possible way.

Hard. Fast. Unforgiving.

No matter what else happened, HYDRA had to be taken down at all costs.

He must have zoned out at some point because a moment later Skye had slapped him and when he came to she was repeating his name over and over. He gave her a confused, annoyed look, but his complaint of her mistreating him fell short when he coughed again. He coughed so much that his vision became spotted with different colours. He leaned forward, one arm pressed as tightly to his chest as he could, and focused only on breathing hard until he stopped coughing and could catch his breath.

He was gradually getting more and more angry. Garrett. Next time he saw that man he was going to bash the man's skull open.

"Ward! Look at me. Are you okay?" Skye was saying. She had probably said a lot more but that was the only time his hearing clicked back in and he saw her, looking quite pale, staring at him in concern and fear.

He sat back, breath rattling in his chest, but found himself unable to remove his arm from his chest as the pain increased each time he removed the pressure. His minimal experience with chest wounds (he was more of a shoulder or gut kind of guy), couldn't decide whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"I'm... okay," he said unconvincingly. He felt far too tired to put up an act as usual. That would have made him more annoyed if he was a little more lucid. "I would appreciate a cough drop though." He didn't need to be fully conscious to crack unwitty jokes. That just came as part of the package that was "Agent Grant Ward". In a way, it had become his coping mechanism when dealing with tough situations.

Like this.

He knew Skye was saying something again, but for some reason, he couldn't stay awake, and he let his eyes close and a feverish sleep take him, just as Koenig's voice came over the jet with words he couldn't understand.

* * *

 **Skye POV**

"Landing in a few. Buckle up!" Koenig's cheerful voice made her grit her teeth in annoyance. It was also bad timing, seeing as Ward's eyes had closed and he went limp as he lost consciousness. He was still sitting behind her, and she could see the shallow rise and fall of his chest. She could also hear the difficulty of his breathing. His face was pale as a ghost, and there was a tinge of blue on his lips. She tried not to remember the look of pain that had finally broken through on his face when he had coughed last. She wasn't even sure if he had seen the blood.

Something was very wrong, and she wished Simmons was here. All she could do now was keep pressure on her injury and wrap one arm around him to keep him from falling over as they bumped over the ground. There were no windows where they were, and she wouldn't know if they'd landed in a HYDRA base or in the middle of a desert.

Koenig strolled through joyfully and then stopped to gawk momentarily at the scene. Then he simply shrugged it off. "The medical team is already alerted and on their way. This is a slightly... bigger... and more populated compound, that we call the 'Pegasus'." His complete and utter disregard for seriousness in a serious situation only made her even more annoyed. This was no time to exchange jokes and pleasantries.

The doors of the jet opened, and a little ways beyond came several people in lab coats. The name tags showed the SHIELD emblem which made her feel a little more comfortable. She stood up, slightly woozy, her hand damp again from blood. She felt like she was being swarmed with people, all buzzing around trying to assess the situation as best they could.

"He has a bullet wound in his chest from yesterday," she told the ones who were looking at him. "He tore the stitches and is having more trouble breathing than before... and then he passed out," she said.

She heard various words floating around, some she understood, and some she didn't.

They started to move him in a different direction than her, and she felt a rush of panic. What if he didn't wake up? She had to be with him. "I'm going with him," she bit out the words. "Please." She added, although it wasn't a question.

The doctors looked at her but then nodded, not wanting to argue.

As her world spun she realized Koenig was rihgt. The Pegasus was much larger than the compound. Was this a secret SHIELD from within SHIELD?


	5. Regrouping

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed.

 **Author's Discussion:** Let me know in the reviews if there are many major errors. I tend to be a bit lazy about proof reading but if something really stands out or doesn't make sense then let me know! Also there will be a deviation from normal events... because I just can't write about something that isn't action for even a single chapter! Gotta get the rest of the team in here... I love the team interactions before everything went horrible. Also I don't claim to have any medical knowledge. I just poke my keyboard and words appear.

* * *

 **Regrouping**

The first thing he remembered after falling asleep on the jet was waking up in a fairly relaxed state, with his body too tired and weak to respond. His vision was blurred but he distinctly saw two shapes standing there. They moved, and he thought he could hear something, but couldn't tell what they were saying. He mumbled something in response, but didn't even know what he said himself, before he slipped out again.

The next time he woke, he could at least feel his body. He wasn't quite sure if that was an improvement, really. He could feel a dull ache in his chest, and he opened his eyes to a room similar to the hospital he had woken up in after getting shot. A SHIELD logo was over the doorway, and his he swept his gaze around the room, they fell on the only person who was in there. She was sitting in a chair against the near wall, fast asleep. Her shoulder was wrapped and her arm was in a sling, indicating some muscular damage from the shot and maybe the bone, though he had assumed that anyway when he saw the bullet hadn't gone all the way through. Ward had always hated slings. He felt they greatly limited his body and made doing his job very inconvenient.

He lay quietly, not really wanting to wake her. He felt much better now than he had earlier. He didn't feel cold or shaky, and he was probably full to the brim on painkillers which made breathing feel somewhat normal. He let his eye close and waited patiently, listening to the steady beep of his heart monitor and thinking about the team and how they would move on from here. Would anything ever go back to normal?

They were on the run not only from HYDRA, but from government agencies, including the air force, who believed SHIELD was now a terrorist organization because of HYDRA's influence. If things worked our correctly that could probably get fixed, but nearly the entire agency had been dismantled in one devastating blow.

To add to that, he had no idea where he was.

His eyes opened when he heard a door open - albeit, quietly - and footsteps click on the floor. Slightly heavy, indicating a larger build, but confident.

"I assume you have been updated on what happened," Ward said, without looking at Coulson but knowing it was him who had entered. His voice was quiet, his intention not to wake Skye who likely needed the sleep. Which meant they had returned from their mission, and had returned here - wherever here was - rather than the destroyed compound. He wanted to know what happened on the mission but he was sure he would be told sooner rather than later.

"It seems all of us had our adventures," he said. He sounded tired. Ward finally turned his head to look at Coulson and noted there was something distant in his eyes, as though his mind was somewhere else.

"The mission? Did it go alright?" Ward asked. He felt an urge to cough but it passed without incident.

"That man won't be hurting anyone else," Coulson responded carefully. Ward had known Coulson had some personal interest in the mission, but he wasn't sure what exactly. He'd have to learn from Fitzsimmons later when they started gossiping as they always did. They weren't quite the best at holding a secret.

"Good," he responded. He was silent for a moment, before remembering that he still had no idea where he was. "So where are we? Some SHIELD base that survived the attacks?" He asked. He knew SHIELD had bases everywhere, some secret, some not. Sure, it could be one of Fury's secret bases but it seemed like this base had far more than one person, and he doubted Fury trusted more than two people total. It made more sense if it was just a surviving SHIELD base that had been kept classified for different purposes.

Coulson gave him a strange look and he wondered just exactly what he had missed.

"What do you remember after landing?" He asked.

Uh oh. Had he woken up a few times with half-asleep mumbling? He only remembered waking up once, but apparently he had forgotten everything else, which he supposed wasn't uncommon when it came to dealing with injuries and whatever drugs they injected him with. It must have been the good kind, because he felt a hell of a lot better now than he had in the past day or two.

"I don't remember landing," he admitted. "I remember waking up once, saw two people, and then I woke up now," he said. "That's about it. Did something happen?" He asked, brow furrowed in sudden worry.

"No, no. Everyone's fine. We've just explained where you were three times already," he said, with a faintly, semi-serious smile.

Ward shrugged, feeling a slightly less dull throb as a result. "I don't remember that," he offered. He tilted his head around to make sure Skye was still asleep, and found it rather cute how she was lying with her head drooping against her good arm.

"We are at the Pegasus. It was a level 10 base of operations run by Fury himself with only his the select few people he trusted within it. It's similar to a fully operational hub. Fortunately, his select few staff were completely loyal to SHIELD. SHIELD agents are being evacuated here for their own safety and for secrecy. I assume you're aware the air force is currently going after us?" Coulson explained.

"Yeah, Hand told me that," Ward responded.

"No one outside of a select few people even knew this place existed. Not even me," Coulson admitted.

"So it's basically... the new SHIELD headquarters?" Ward asked. He was rather impressed. Fury had an amazing ability to keep secrets even from his closest of friends. He started to sit up, disliking laying in bed for as long as he was, and feeling it would be much easier to talk when he could see better. He froze partway, pain stabbing in his chest. One breath. Two breaths. He lowered himself back down, feeling rather annoyed with himself.

"Yeah, I wouldn't do that," Coulson said, having definitely noticed the look of pain that had crossed his face. "You have... well.. I can't remember how to say it. Simmons can explain it," added.

"I didn't do anything except try to stay alive," he grumbled just as said British scientist entered the room.

She frowned at him when she realized he was awake, then looked at Skye and saw she wasn't. "To be honest it would have happened whether they had struck the compound or not. They shouldn't have released you from the hospital. Part of your lung started swelling up due to a major infection that was likely caused by the bullet itself, but not treated. It only was made worse by activity but it would have gotten severe without excessive physical activity regardless. Fortunately, the powerful course of antibiotics brought the swelling down," she said, looking at the IVs in his arm that he hadn't noticed before.

"And it will heal?" He asked. He needed to be in top shape sooner rather than later. They were kind of at war.

Her gaze hardened into a slight glare as she seemed to have guessed what he was thinking. "You will be perfectly fine as long as you don't overdo it. Resting will encourage healing and I promise you will be back to normal. In a few weeks you should be okay to do regular physical activity in regards to your lung itself, although the torn muscle from the bullet wound will take a little longer to heal."

He groaned. A few weeks? They didn't have a few weeks.

"Why are all my patients so stubborn?" Simmons asked Coulson, who smiled without responding.

"Because resting is boring," Skye spoke up, and everyone in the room flinched, except Ward who barely held it back. He craned his neck and saw that she was just stirring, probably having only woken up very recently. She managed to avoid moving her arm, which is something he had done almost every time he had his in a sling after an injury. It was mostly an instinct to do so. "There's only so long you can sit before you run out of netflix reruns to watch," she said.

Ward's mouth twitched with a smirk.

"You're turning her into a mini you," Simmons looked at him accusingly.

"What?" He said, faking incredulity. It felt good to be talking back and forth with his team mates. "I've done no such thing." Speaking of his team mates... "Where are Fitz and May?" He asked, realizing he hadn't seen them yet.

"Fitz is looking at some of the hardware on the Bus that we pulled when we realized they could track us," Coulson replied. "May is..."

He didn't finish speaking when an alarm sounded in the base and everyone stiffened. Coulson's face turned into a frown and he left the room, leaving Ward, Skye and Simmons to look between each other, wondering if they had been discovered.

A few minutes later Coulson returned. "We received a distress signal from one of our ships. They had been attacked by HYDRA but repelled the attack. Their ship is badly damaged and they have high level cargo that they were protecting. We are being sent in to help with the rescue and recovery of the cargo. They are, right now, a sitting duck for HYDRA," he said. Ward tried to sit up again, more carefully. "Not you," he said quickly, and glanced at Skye.

"So we have to sit around doing nothing. We can do that on the Bus too, but at least we'll offers... ideas," he reasoned.

Coulson looked at Simmons in exasperation. Skye and Ward both stared at her hopefully. If he had to rest he'd at least want to be with the team, knowing what was going on rather than sitting here being kept in the dark.

"You may not leave the medical bay," Simmons relented. "And you will tell me if you have any trouble breathing," she added, giving Ward her best 'I'm a doctor and you must do as a I say' look.

Realizing he had gotten as best of a yes as he could have hoped her, he nodded his agreement.

"We're leaving in 30," Coulson said. "Get ready."

* * *

 __ **Authorness** _ **:** Dun dun dun... _Now I have a full day to think of what exactly is going to happen!


	6. The Rescue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed.

 **Author's Discussion:** Let me know in the reviews if there are many major errors. I tend to be a bit lazy about proof reading but if something really stands out or doesn't make sense then let me know! Also there will be a deviation from normal events... because I just can't write about something that isn't action for even a single chapter! Some change of view points for maximum action.

* * *

 **The Rescue**

It felt good to be back on the Bus again. Even if it wasn't in his own bunk, and he was confined in the med bay with Skye, unable to do anything but wait for reports back from the team. Not that they had gone in yet. The remnants of SHIELD's loyal teams had gathered, and a small nagging worry worked its way into his chest as he wondered whether that had been HYDRA's intention. Get them all in one place, then destroy them. But no. This had been an attack like any other, and they had no way of knowing how many people from SHIELD had truly made it. Coulson, May, and Trip were all ready to go, with the task of securing the ship while a second time went in and evacuated the cargo to a safe, unknown location. Ward didn't know what was on that ship, but he knew that he definitely didn't want any piece of it getting into HYDRA's greedy hands.

Or Garrett's.

The thought of his name made him cringe and he mentally drew himself away from the memory of his former SO, and the lies he had been fed about Garrett being a loyal SHIELD agent, a great fighter, a caring leader... he had believed every word, never knowing the true man inside. It was known now that Garrett cared for no one except himself, and he would take down anyone in his way.

Thinking about that man made his blood boil and hatred pound in his chest, almost like the time he had grabbed the Berserker staff, although that had been a different memory altogether.

"Ward?" Simmons voice distracted him and he turned to look at her, expressionless. "Are you okay?" She was looking rather closely at him, and he couldn't understand why. Then he heard the beeping of his heart monitor suddenly swim back into focus, and realized it had picked up rather rapidly, as he had gotten angrier. He scowled at it, annoyed that it had betrayed his poker face and let everyone in the room know that something was going on, although all of it was in his own mind.

"I'm fine," he responded, forcing his anger away so that he calmed down. "I was just thinking about someone I really don't like at the moment." They could probably figure out who just by thinking about it.

"Oh okay," Simmons sounded uncertain but believing. "You're not in any serious pain?" She asked, peering closely at him.

His chest still hurt but it was becoming more of a constant, dull pain than anything else. Almost like he had a seriously chest cold. Whatever she had him on was working wonders but it made him feel rather strange, as though his emotional state was a little more raw than it had been trained to be. As a specialist, keeping his emotional state under control had always been a priority. Emotions could fuck up everything, and he knew that better than most people.

"Nope. I feel great," he responded, but couldn't fake that cheeriness that he remembered on Koenig's face. Speaking of Koenig... that man had disappeared and no one had seen him since.

"They're in position," Skye announced. She was on her own table, sitting up - since she was lucky and got special treatment like that - watching a video feed on a laptop. Ward craned his neck to see, as he had been repeatedly told - ordered, really - that he should not sit up for anything short of needing to get up to go to the bathroom. Which meant he still had no idea what was going on because the screen had a glare at the angle he was at.

He felt a wave of frustration that he wasn't there, helping the team, and that instead of him, Trip was. Perhaps a bit of jealousy again, too.

* * *

 **MAY POV**

Smoke rose off the deck of the ship from fires that were still being put out. She could see bodies of agents from both side being dragged out of the way, so that those from SHIELD could be respectfully buried. She doubted anyone on that ship cared what happened to the bodies of HYDRA. She found herself not caring either, seeing how many people had been lost. Hating the dead wasn't really high on her list of 'things to do'. Everyone made choices, some good, some bad. All choices were shaped by experiences in their lives, also either good or bad. In the minds of those agents, they may have felt they were doing the 'good' thing, whereas SHIELD was doing the bad thing. But she simply couldn't fathom had murdering people - students at the academy included - could ever be considered a good thing. She wouldn't even consider it a good thing to murder a group of HYDRA scientists - that's why they made icers, so they could take down targets without killing them.

But this senseless bloodshed made her blood boil, even if not a single expression flitted across her carefully controlled face. She had practiced this poker face for years. It had practically become her only face. The betrayal, the hurt, the pain. Uncalled for, unnecessary. What purpose did it truly serve? It was a devastating blow, sure. But could she really believe so many sleeper agents believed they were doing the right thing? That none of them had grown close to their SHIELD counterparts?

She sighed sharply, perhaps the only outward sigh of her growing frustration. Coulson knew full well what it meant and looked over at her, his expression grim. He too must understand. She knew Agent Tripplet was definitely feeling the brunt of it. He had been betrayed directly by his superior officer. Betrayal was not a great feeling, either.

She caught the signal from another Bus, indicating for them to move. "Alright, time to go," she said. She nodded at both Coulson and Tripplet before jumping off the plane's hangar, deploying her parachute a few moments later for a gradual landing. She wasn't the biggest fan of the sudden kick that jolted her when the parachute shot out, so she preferred it to happen before she had gained too much momentum. So landed easily, walking forward so the parachute dropped behind her, rather than over her, which some new agents tended to do. Getting tangled in a parachute on a mission? Not going to happen.

The ship's surface was splattered with blood throughout the deck. She could see guns left where people fell, or when they had run out of ammo. She walked calmly, looking around for any sign of trouble, but seeing only friendlies.

Coulson approached a grey-haired man who was injured, but appeared to be okay. "Agent Gonzalez. I'm glad to see you are alright," Coulson said, shaking hands with his fellow agent. She had heard of Gonzalez, but had never actually gotten with him before. He was an older agent, but he had a lot of experience and went completely by the book, and never off the book, which was something Coulson didn't really like to do. Sometimes the book needed to be ignored, for the safety and lives of their team. If they had gone by the book months ago, Fitz and Ward would have died when they had been given no extraction point. Although she was a stickler for rules herself, she knew when they got in the way.

Gonzalez gave a small smile of acknowledgement but little else. He looked tired and defeated. A blonde woman, perhaps one of his seconds, spoke to Coulson instead. "The cargo hold has not been breached but there are still HYDRA agents inside, trying to get in. We have only a few uninjured agents left, and the ship is dead in the water," she said.

May frowned. There were other agents, but she saw several of them had bullet wounds, and some had injuries from physical confrontation. A few hadn't made it. Anger swept through her again.

She didn't even want to know what kind of horror show had happened at the academy, full of untrained students, many of them scientists.

"Do you have a count on how many?" May asked, planning the route of action. She had to know the layout of the ship, where to go, and how many. And they would take care of them. There was no way she wasn't going to get this job done. There was too much at stake.

"Less than a dozen alive," the blond agent said.

A tall black man approached, limping heavily, but his eyes blazed. "The cargo must be protected at all costs. I can tell you where to go and how to get there, as well as the best places to take them out," he said.

May, Coulson, Trip, the blonde agent who later declared herself to be agent Morse, and a few remaining agents still capable of combat from the ship entered the lower deck, guns drawn and fully alert. May's eyes instantly drew towards movement, next to the hold, but there was no one there. Which meant either they had been spotted or the HYDRA personnel was searching for a way in. She nodded in that direction, and they approached. She wasn't quite a fan of shooting. She much preferred physical combat, knowing how hard to hit, doing just enough damage to take down her opponent without killing them - and knowing when to stop. With a gun, there was always that risk that the opponent would die or was not completely disabled.

So in her typical fashion she went around the other corner, to take them down from behind. She spots one agent, looking down at what might be a watch while cursing heartily. She waits, signals the others, and moves in. She kicked the man in the back, sending him staggering to his knees with a grunt. She then punches him directly on the head, knocking him out before he could call the others.

Gunfire tells her the others have been engaged, and she stalks up behind the unsuspecting HYDRA agents. She kicks the knee out of one while twisting the shoulder of the other until it pops. Their screams startle the other agents who spin in surprise. May slams a wrist against the wall, cracking it, and sees the man drop his gun. She dodges a kick but gets her cheek split open when she gets punched in the face. It hardly mattered now, and she watched as the last HYDRA agent went down, stunned by an ICER. The difference between SHIELD and HYDRA was that SHIELD would rather take them in alive. And that was enough of a distinction to keep her knowing she was on the right side.

"Cargo hold is clear," Coulson speaks into the radio, then frowns at her wound in concern. She shrugs him off, walking back up towards the bridge. Things were only going to get more hectic from here, she just knew it.


	7. The Takeover

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed.

 **Author's Discussion:** Let me know in the reviews if there are many major errors. I tend to be a bit lazy about proof reading but if something really stands out or doesn't make sense then let me know! Also there will be a deviation from normal events... because I just can't write about something that isn't action for even a single chapter! Some change of view points for maximum action. I have an idea for another story that I might start when this is finished... with an OC from another world... something that's been bouncing around in my head since I started watching the show. (Agent Richards in this story is just a random person)

* * *

 **The Takeover**

The Bus moved. And Coulson and May had not returned yet. Ward looked up, sharing a confused look with Skye. He peered at the slightly tilted video feed to see that, in fact, they were certainly not on the Bus, which meant something was happening that wasn't good. He looked at Fitz and Simmons, who didn't seem to have noticed, as they were fussing over various medical supplies and tools. He sat up slowly, hissing quietly in pain, looking around for a weapon of some sort. Unless he could use his monitor stand as a battering ram - which he didn't really have the strength or energy for - there was nothing in his immediate vicinity.

"Guys," he spoke, calmly and quietly to the pair of scientists, who looked up curiously. "Whoever is moving the Bus is not May or Coulson. They are still on the ship." He waited as their expressions slowly turned from confusion to dawning understanding and the slightest hint of panic. "We do not know what they want yet... so... do not do anything threatening."

Had he been in any condition to fight then he may have suggested something slightly different. But only he and Skye were trained - only somewhat in Skye's case - for actual combat situations like this, and it would be a hopeless battle. There was more chance that cooperation - without giving any information away - was the greatest chance of survival. And in his mind making sure they survived was top priority, and not anything else. He looked at Skye who was rapidly typing something into her phone, probably to Coulson or May, before slamming shut her laptop and hiding it under the cot.

"If there is anything at all you don't want in HYDRA's hands, destroy it now," Skye said, getting to her feet, steadying herself on the cot.

Ward wanted to do the same but despite the situation, Simmons gave him her most dangerous stare, and he held his arms up in surrender. "Fine... I'll stay here. Being useless," he grumbled, staring at the glass wall for any sign of movement. It was slightly bullet proof, but wouldn't survive major fire.

"Useless is better than dead," Simmons chirped. They were moving stuff around, quickly and effectively. There was a small incinerator at the back of the room that few people knew about. Designed exactly for situations like this. They tossed a few things in it, without much complaint, probably because they had backups or spares somewhere else that could easily be replicated. He knew how much pried Fitzsimmons took in their designs and work.

"I won't die from standing," he complained.

Then movement outside caught his eye and he stiffened. Several men strode into view, but one of them in particular caught his attention. Because he knew this man. He had worked with him on his missions in Paris before he had joined Coulson's team. A man he had trusted and respected. He wasn't sure he had managed to completely wipe the shock from his expression, and squashed the feeling of betrayal, as well as the completely understandable and appropriate feeling of rage.

"Well well," the man said, looking disgustingly pleased with himself. "Two wounded agents and two scientists. It seems we will have no problem at all securing this plane," Agent Richards said, then looked at Ward with a blank look on his face.

Ward would have felt less angry if it had been smug.

"Agent Ward. I enjoyed working with you in Paris. It's a shame you are on the wrong side," he said, finally taking a moment to look smug. "I heard from Garrett that you took a bullet in the chest to protect Agent Hand. I'm sure I told you sacrificing yourself for others will only get a grave," his words turned into a sneer but his expression didn't quite match. For a split second Ward wondered if Agent Richards was actually happy with his choice or not.

"HYDRA, Richards. Really? Are they really worth it?" Ward's words came out more like an angry hiss despite his efforts at controlling his emotions. Rage was burning steadily through him. How dare he?

"They will win this war and that is all that matters," Richards turned away, and looked at the team of agents he had with him. "Search them for weapons and disarm them. Lock them in a storage pod. Can't have any SHIELD agents sneaking about," Richards turned and stalked off.

As Simmons and Fitz flinched away from the approaching HYDRA agents, Ward felt his anger only increasing. Despite what he had said earlier he suddenly wanted to take down every one of these agents and go on a hunt for Richards. He had been a friend. Someone he had trusted. A colleague he would have trusted with his life. And he was a traitor. A HYDRA agent. He could feel Skye staring at him in concern, no doubt seeing the murderous gleam in his eyes, but no doubt the enemy agents had seen it too.

As he clumsily tried to pull himself off the cot, cursing himself at the weakness in his limbs from laying down for so long, someone grabbed him and squeezed hard directly around the wound in his chest. Lights exploded in his eyes, and he felt a shrill cry of pain rip from his throat, staggering sideways and then straight down. He thought he heard shouting all around him, but it was drowned out by the pain. IV's were ripped unceremoniously from his arm, which would cut him off from what he considered the 'good meds'. He choked in a breath, struggling to get out of the grip of the HYDRA agent to no avail.

Suddenly the grip was gone, and he instantly put his arm over the wound on his chest, pain throbbing violently through him once again. But it was only external. Breathing didn't hurt. The wound itself had been aggravated, as opposed to the internal injury. Aggravated didn't quite cover it.

He felt wetness on his hand and didn't quite register it as blood until the shockwaves that were blaring into his brain finally stopped. He realized he was being practically dragged to the nearest storage pod, and even though the realization meant he was finally alert to the situation, he couldn't bring his legs to move with him. Somewhere behind him he was able to hear Simmons quietly asking if he was alright, sounding scared and panicked. He wanted to reply but he kept his jaw clenched tight, as the worst of the pain began to fade into memory.

He just couldn't get a break.

He was pushed into the storage pod, where he quickly gathered his wits and scrambled out of the way, pulling himself up against a wall. His legs wouldn't support his weight so he remained sitting, letting his training kick in gradually to ignore the pain, focus on the situation, and get his body to respond properly.

He looked at Skye, carefully checking her over. She looked pained but not injured, and her shoulder didn't seem to be worse. Fitz looked fine as well, just scared. On Simmons, however, he saw a reddening mark on her cheek, and his blood boiled at the realization that she had been hit. One of those HYDRA cowards had hit her. Anger boiling through him, he almost missed Skye's question

"Are you okay Ward?"

He blinked at her, pushing the anger away - though keeping it close, should he need it. They had been locked in from the outside, which meant the controls on the inside had been disabled, preventing them from escaping.

"Fine," he responded curtly, feeling the blood trickling down his fingertips.

He just wanted to punch someone. Preferably, Agent Richards.

"You're bleeding again," Simmons said, moving towards him to try and stop the blood. His eyes flicked towards the red mark and his anger swarmed anew. He shook his head. He needed a moment before any more 'pressure' was applied to his chest.

"It'll be okay. We need to decide what to do next. They didn't kill us which means they need us for something. We need to find out what."

* * *

 **Coulson's POV**

Coulson watched furiously as the Bus - his Bus - suddenly rose and left. They had been played. The text message from Skye had come a moment too late. Whoever had gotten on the Bus had known that his team was coming and had planned this out from the start. They had also wanted what was in the cargo hold, but apparently that was less important than getting control over the plane.

He looked grimly at May, who was bleeding from a wound on her face that she refused to let be treated. Her gaze was cold and her face set in stone. Angry.

"Why did they take your Bus but leave the cargo?" Agent Morse asked, confused.

Coulson knew. He knew the instant she asked the question. "Information," he responded quietly. He hoped that meant Ward, Skye and Fitzsimmons were still alive. And would be kept alive.

"You have more agents on that plane?" She asked, surprised.

Coulson smiled without humor. "Two injured agents and two scientists."

"We will get them back," May said calmly and firmly, ever sure.

Coulson knew that. But he also knew what they were after. That which brought him back to life. That's what they had always been after. It always came back to him.


	8. Falling

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed. It's always needed...

 **Author's Discussion:** Let me know in the reviews if there are many major errors. I tend to be a bit lazy about proof reading but if something really stands out or doesn't make sense then let me know!

* * *

 **Falling**

Truthfully, Ward was feeling rather bored... and extremely tired. It had been hours since anyone had come by, and they had been passing the time with random bursts of conversation that usually ended when everyone realized they were being held prisoner and things weren't all happy and dandy. Now that the 'miracle juice' had worn out he was beginning to feel the effects of his gunshot wound again, a sharp stabbing combined with a constant ache. Another thing to put on his list of 'reasons for killing Richards', which was already quite a long list. He closed his eyes, feeling far more tired than before, but still wanting to beat the hell out of his former friend and partner.

"Someone's coming," Simmons whispered quietly.

Ward opened one eye, listening to the steps coming closer. Two pairs. A surge of hate swept through him as Richards came by, and his body stiffened instinctively in response. He could already feel his fist curling beside him, though there was no way he would be able to punch his way through the thickened reinforced glass of the pod. Though he wasn't against trying, if only his body didn't feel so damned tired.

"It seems you have already destroyed any useful prototypes to us. I have to hand it to you. You are quite efficient." Richards voice was once against devoid of emotion, but Ward took pleasure in imagining anger in that voice. Annoyance.

"I'm sorry to inconvenience you," Ward mocked icily. His chest twinged in protest at his behaviour.

"You don't look very good Agent Ward," Richards glared at him, but the glare wasn't as sharp as it could have been. "You'll look even worse if you keep talking like that." Even his threat hardly sounded sincere. Ward's mind began to race, thinking. Something was wrong. Richards wasn't acting like his heart was in the moment. A tiny part of him wanted to believe that he was not sincerely a believer of HYDRA, but that would seem far too... good. Better to be a pessimist and be pleasantly surprised than be an optimist and be disappointed.

"What do you want?" Fitz tried to sound angry but even then he couldn't quite mask the nervousness.

"Data. All of it. Every single piece of information your team has collected, everything you have created, every single clue and thought put into everything you've done. There are things we still do not know, and you have the secret."

Ward frowned. A moment later, it all clicked into place. Again. HYDRA was still chasing after the ghost of a drug that had brought Coulson back to life - and the ghost of a drug that had saved Skye's life. The drug that no longer existed because the base had been self-destructed by some over-rambunctious soldiers, who had unfortunately perished. What did they expect them to know that they didn't? Garrett had been there. He had fought side by side with them, and had seen Skye's condition improve quite suddenly.

"Whatever drug you're looking for was blown up," Ward responded, blinking a little too long as exhaustion continued to swarm his brain.

"Oh, I know. But you must have data on it. Something that will allow us to resurrect it. To complete it. This drug could bring back the dead. Everyone who died from SHIELD and from HYDRA. It could save everyone. Think about it," Richards sounded excited. And blissfully, completely, ignorant. "My boss won't stop until he's found it. And I wouldn't want to be the ones standing in his way."

Everything clicked. In an instant, he understood now why Garrett was so interested in the drug. Long ago, Garrett told him about injuries he received in the battlefield where he had nearly been blown to pieces. He mentioned at one point, how he didn't have as long as he thought.

Garrett truly was a selfish man.

"You mean Garrett. A man who is dying. Who has been dying for quite some time, I might add. Do you really think he cares about the world? About you, even? He wants the drug to save himself. That's all he's ever cared about," Ward hissed, noticing with satisfaction that look of shock that momentarily crossed Richards' face. He apparently had not known about Garrett's shortened lifespan.

"Regardless of his intentions... we will still be able to use it for good," Richards argued, but there was a small note of uncertainty in his voice.

 _Good,_ Ward thought. _Let those lies and betrayals of trust go through your head._

"You're an idiot. HYDRA may claim to want peace and help mankind but the only thing they've brought to this world is pain, death, and suffering of innocent people," Ward's eyes closed as he spoke and he didn't bother to look at Richards. He didn't care about his responses anymore. He only wanted to sleep.

There wasn't one. There was a tense moment where nothing happened, and then the sound of retreating footsteps back to the main section of the Bus.

"Ward? What's wrong?" It was Skye asking this time, and not Simmons.

"Just a little tired. That's all," he responded. A little might be an understatement. Maybe it was an aftereffect of being off the medicine. Maybe he was just tired because other than passing out and having fever dreams he hadn't really slept peacefully in the past several days.

"Do you have any trouble breathing?" Simmons asked. She had probably asked maybe eight times in the past few hours.

He opened his eyes just enough to glare at her in annoyance. "My breathing is fine. Although it does feel like my chest has been run over by a semi." In a way, he wasn't exactly joking. He had deep bruising around the injury thanks to the brute from HYDRA and it only made all the tightness get even worse.

"Is Garrett really dying?" Fitz asked, a hopeful note in his voice.

 _Hopefully not before I get to him,_ Ward thought darkly, but nodded once. "He told me once when he was my SO that he had been hit by shrapnel following a major blast. His stomach had been torn open and although he survived, he hinted that he didn't have much time left so I guess however they tried to fix it didn't make it 100%." He squashed the unpleasant feeling that came with imaging his stomach being ripped open and his internal organs plopping out all over the place.

"Good," Skye growled.

Ward smiled.

He must have nodded off after that. Next thing he knew, he was being shaken gently, and he opened his eyes to Skye's worried face.

"What?" He growled, wishing he could just fall back asleep and get more rest, forgetting what kind of situation they were in and wondering what exactly was ripping his chest open. He looked down to see that Simmons was checking the wound, looking for signs of infection maybe? He had stopped bleeding sometime before he had nodded off but wasn't exactly sure when. The purpling around his wound was not very welcoming to touch of any kind. He pulled away, and she let go of his shirt so it went back into its normal position.

"Sorry, just checking," Simmons sighed, sitting back. The two scientists looked bored now, rather than nervous. All in all it was the most boring captured situation he had ever been in, that's for sure.

"You were mumbling in your sleep. And kicking me," Skye responded after, settling back down into her small area of the room. Her hand was over her shoulder, the gunshot wound clearly causing her pain. It took a little bit to get used to pain, especially when one wasn't trained for it or didn't quite have so much experience in the area.

"Was I?" He didn't remember having dreamed. Probably too tired. "Sorry. I'll try to kick Fitz next time."

Fitz gave him a look in protest.

It was probably perfect timing, too. He could hear footsteps coming up, and he looked up to see Richards. And only Richards. No guards this time. Which meant he was probably here to gloat about something, and Ward could only hope it wasn't something terrible.

"Well, it seems we didn't need you after all. Well, not really. You see, the final component we needed was blood. Blood from someone who the drug had been used on. And since that is already in the system, free for any of us to see, we have what we need to finish a replica of the drug. It won't be perfect, but it should work all the same." Richards sounded happy, but not exceptionally happy for someone who had just made his boss's day. And life.

Ward turned away.

"By the end of this Garrett will be dead. But I'm sure he'll reward you, so you'll get what you wanted." he sneered.

"Oh yes. Garrett is on his way here, actually. He's quite excited. However, I was told to get rid of all liabilities... and you, unfortunately, are liabilities." He sounded genuinely unhappy about it. Ward finally looked at him, expression cold.

"If you're going to follow someone, at least make it someone worth following," he suggested.

 _And not a selfish, lying narcissist like Garrett._

"I could have killed you all. Four bullets would have done it. But that's like shooting fish in a barrel. And I'll be perfectly honest. I don't like killing people I worked with." There was a pause. Then he walked up to the control panel on his side, and Ward stiffened. "I'm sure between the four of you you'll find out something," he said, his voice quieter, hardly audible.

He started pushing buttons.

Fitzsimmons suddenly jolted, alert. "What are you doing?" Fitz exclaimed. "Wait. Don't!"

"Don't worry. They float. Perhaps in a better world things could have gone differently." Richards trailed his voice off, sounding genuinely regretful, and Skye and Ward just looked around in confusion, not knowing what Fitz and Simmons were panicking about. And then the pod began to move. Gears shifted. It was sliding backwards, into the open air. And suddenly he understood. The storage pod was being ejected from the Bus.

"Hang on," he tried to speak above the duo of scientists, while Skye's expression turned to one of panic. That's the last clear thing he saw, because then they were falling, faster and faster, and things began to fly up all around him. Everything jolted into a jarring halt, and his head smashed against the ceiling of the pod, among other impacts, and everything faded into darkness once again.

* * *

 _AN: The falling pod scene is just too perfect to not have... but I like my twist better. Also, I might do something with Richards later on. He could be salvageable._


	9. Underwater

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed. It's always needed...

 **Author's Discussion:** Let me know in the reviews if there are many major errors. I tend to be a bit lazy about proof reading but if something really stands out or doesn't make sense then let me know!

* * *

 **Underwater**

The quinjet arrived just in time to see the ripples of the ocean surface start to return to normal, signaling that something had fallen. The plane itself was just out of sight, to prevent the HYDRA agents from being alerted that they were being followed. Coulson frowned down at the fading ripple, something nagging at him that there was definitely a problem going on. What had they ejected from the Bus? A weapon? Something that could be disastrous to the ocean, and therefore, all oceanic communities and eventually the entire planet? "We need to check that out. Agent Morse is following on a SHIELD warship, they can probably scope it out," Coulson said to May, who was the pilot. She had stopped going forward to check out the splash, and simply nodded.

"Keep following the Bus?" She asked. It was a little farther out not but they could catch up to it easily if they tried. Coulson stared down at the ocean. Something was nagging at him. Something was nagging deep. And he usually knew trusting his instincts paid out for the better than ignoring them.

"No. Let's go to the warship and help with the retrieval of whatever fell," he said. "We can find the Bus at any time thanks to Skye's laptop letting out that beacon," he said. So long as HYDRA wasn't aware of it, that was all the better. He hoped that meant everyone was still okay, but she could have set the beacon off as soon as she determined that something was wrong, before they were captured.

May simply nodded, and spun the quinjet around while Tripp radioed in that they were returning. Coulson remembered at the last second to mark the coordinates down otherwise they would lose the position altogether.

Whatever was down there, it was important. He just knew it.

* * *

 **Simmons POV**

Simmons woke up to a dull pain in her head and what felt like a giant bruise on her back. She vaguely remembered falling in the pod, watching as everyone else smashed around into various objects, before she hit something hard enough to knock her unconscious. She blinked open her eyes, squinting painfully into the gloom, and started to sit up. At first everything swirled nauseatingly around her, but it eventually stabilized and she felt her vision swim into focus. Fitz was sitting up, propped against the shelves that had fallen over, with his armed wrapped in a self-made sling. He was bleeding from the side of his face and seemed very downcast. Neither Skye or Ward were conscious, but she could see after a moment of panic that they were both breathing steadily.

Then she looked out the window to see that they were not on the surface of the ocean as they should. The pods _were_ designed to float, so that in case of a crash, the items (or people) within weren't lost. But no. There was whatever everywhere, and the pod was not rocking along as it would have been if it was afloat. Which meant they had sunk. In the middle of the ocean, which was probably incredibly deep. And that meant a chance of a random boat or plane coming by and rescuing them had been reduced to nothing.

"Fitz? Why are we under water?" She asked, limping slightly as she went over to him. He looked up, with a troubled expression on his face.

"The sensors failed. When the pod hit the water they were supposed to register so that the pressure could be changed so that it would float but for some reason it didn't work at all." He looked back down. "And I have no idea what to do about it."

Simmons sat down beside him, resisting a sigh of defeat.

"How deep do you think we are?" She asked, looking around.

Fitz shrugged. "Too deep to swim without drowning. But I don't think we were over a very deep part of the ocean and we aren't dying from pressure so it must not be dangerously deep," he responded. "I had to push some stuff off you guys. A lot of things had fallen and you were nearly buried."

Simmons finally heaved her sigh. "I can't believe they dropped us out of a plane."

It was at that moment that Skye chose to stir and made a few noncommittal sounds of pain and annoyance. "We're alive?" She asked at last, not even lifting her head. "I don't feel like I'm alive," she added more quietly, more of a grumble.

"For now," Fitz replied, unable to keep the dread out of his voice.

She looked up at that, squinting at him. Simmons noticed her pupils were a little too big, but evenly too big. A concussion, most likely. Which wasn't a surprise. She was fairly certain all of them had one. Ward remained limp and silent, although he was breathing. He most likely wouldn't wake up for awhile, considering the toll the additional injuries must be taking on his already injured body. When her head stopped hurting so much she might look over everyone to make sure they were actually okay rather than just sitting by Fitz. But she didn't feel like doing that just yet.

"Are we underwater?" Skye asked, suddenly realizing the problem. She was sitting up, wincing. Simmons saw some bruises on her face.

"Yep." Fitz said more sharply that necessary.

Simmons sighed. Fitz was angry and scared, and although she couldn't blame him, there was no reason to be so crude to his own team mates. "The pod is supposed to float, but the sensors failed to realize we are in water," Simmons responded, much more calmly. "Are you okay?" She asked. Skye looked a little bit too lost and Simmons only now saw the blood dripping down her arm, soaking into her sling.

"I'm fine... I think I hit my head," Skye responded dreamily. She made no effort to stand and simply remained seated where she was.

The pod went silent for quite awhile. She could swear she could head blood droplets hitting the floor, but knew it was just her own imagination. Still, she couldn't stand it any longer. It was what made her who she was. So she finally stood up, and limped over to Skye to see where the bleeding was.

It was, as suspected, her bullet wound. Her arm must have been wrenched somehow, opening the wound. Simmons found the best she could in the partially ruined supplies of the pod and pressed something into it. "Hold it there, please." She ordered. She had to check on Ward, who was still unconscious, to make sure he was actually not dying. Satisfied that Skye was applying pressure, but still worried by the distant look in her eyes, she knelt down by the unconscious agent.

He had a large lump forming on the top of his head. His chest wound was no better, but also no worse, than it had been before the fall, so she didn't have to worry about him bleeding to death. The fact that his wrist had swelled up two times its normal size was worrying, but she couldn't really do anything for it.

No ice. No plaster. She distinctly remembered someone's head hitting the ceiling before she bounced off of it. He probably hit the floor at about the same velocity and smashed his wrist in the process. The giant lump on his head was probably the reason why he was still unconscious, but at least it wasn't bleeding. With a sigh, she sat back down, trying to decide on something that could be done to save them all. But nothing came to mind that could be in any way useful.

And then the entire pod shuddered as _something_ hit it, and everyone who was awake flinched.

"What was that? Oh. I hope it isn't a giant fish... I don't like giant fishes," Simmons whispered aloud, imagining a massive shark slamming into the pod. Skye glanced at her nervously.

"Me either... I don't like the ocean."

"There are no giant fishes," Fitz complained, but he sounded more nervous than angry.

"A large part of the ocean is unexplored. We have no idea what's down there. It could be a giant Jurassic period shark," Simmons argued.

"Great. I'm never going to the beach again," Skye sighed.

Then the pod shifted again. And suddenly it was moving. Upwards. They all braced themselves, and Simmons could feel a pang of hope rekindling in her. They continued to rise, steadily now. It took several minutes, and they must have been very far under the water, but they finally broke through the surface. It continued to rise, and soon she saw the side of a ship with a SHIELD design on it. Any worries that they were being 'rescued' by someone who wasn't their friends faded when she saw three faces she recognized, looking surprised, on the ship. Coulson, May, and Tripp.

* * *

 _AN: Slightly short, I apologize. Also, a slight change in POV just for variety's sake._


	10. Recovery

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed. It's always needed...

 **Author's Discussion:** Let me know in the reviews if there are many major errors. I tend to be a bit lazy about proof reading but if something really stands out or doesn't make sense then let me know! I live in the mindset that if I update it quickly then I won't lose my muse!

* * *

 **Recovery**

Simmons wished she could have taken a picture of the look on Coulson and May's face when they realized their team was in the underwater pod. Especially May's face, since she so rarely showed emotion, and even less, that much of it. Still, she was swamped with a wave of relief when the pod was finally opened and they could get out, and she limped wearily onto the ship, exhausted by the day's events. A blonde shield agent that she didn't know, introduced herself as Agent Morse and helped her down the stairs of the ship and led her to the much more expansive and already populated medical bay. There were at least a dozen injured agents already here, and she realized these must be the agents rescued from the ship. Fortunately, there was plenty of space, and although she was bothered by the sense of duty that wanted her to help out, medically, she was asleep the moment she laid down.

She woke a few hours later to a far more peaceful setting. Fix was sitting up in his cot, toying around with some kind of small item to keep himself distracted. His arm was fixed up in a far better sling, and he was looking years less agitated than he had before.

Skye was also awake, watching something on a new laptop. From her facial expressions it was most likely some sort of movie or television show. Everyone was doing things that they normally did, and it made things feel so much better and she could almost imagine they were back on the Bus, and everything was fine, except for the constant rocking of the warship and the sheer amount of people that were injured or treating injuries around them. She rubbed at her head, surprised to feel it was wrapped around her hairline and felt a stinging pain when she pressed on it. She felt a weak throbbing sensation in her leg, but she would check it out when she was alone later.

"About time you woke up," Coulson spoke up, and she jumped in surprise, not having seen him from where he stood quietly and ghost-like nearby. He had a tendency to do that. "I thought you were going to sleep all day."

"Seems like a good idea," she responded with a small yawn.

"How does your head feel?" He asked, eyeing the gauze that most likely made her look like a mummy. Fitz had a square taped to his forehead, as did Skye, albeit, a larger piece.

"Doesn't hurt unless I touch it." She shrugged. She then peered around for the fourth member of her team, the one who had laid unconscious on the floor of the pod with a massive lump forming on his head and a purple wrist a few sizes too large. He was lying very still on his own cot, his wrist plastered carefully, a bandage around his head. Still not awake. She hoped it wasn't due to a severe concussion.

"Skye said his head thwacked off the top of the pod like a hammer. Fortunately his thick skill prevented him from getting any major damage aside from a moderate concussion." Always Coulson trying to spin a positive to any situation. "He should wake up eventually. His body is simply exhausted. His wrist is another story. Shattered, but not severely enough that it won't ever heal. He's not going to be very happy when he wakes up." Coulson said, looking at the IV bag near Ward's bed with a completely blank expression.

"All in all, it could have been worse," Simmons summarized, leaning back down with relief. Everyone would live to see another day. Or hour, seeing how things were going on around here.

"Definitely."

"I think I have it working," Fitz said in a quiet voice, holding up what looked like a small triangular metal... thing. That was all Simmons could make of it. It was made of a similar metal as an Icer, but she couldn't think of a single possible use for it.

"What is that?" She asked, hoping it was something that could help them out in this war.

Because that's what this was, wasn't it? A war. Between HYDRA and SHIELD, and at the moment, HYDRA was winning due to sheer, cold lies, betrayal, and devastating surprise. She shivered at the thought of being in a way. She was a scientist. She wasn't a soldier, made to fight. And she had no idea what to do to help other than take care of people who got hurt.

"That, is a weapon that will kill Garrett. We assume he's already been injected with the replicated drug and since we have no idea what else is going through his system, he may pose a bit of a problem to kill. This weapon will, once fired into him through a prototype rifle, disintegrate him from the inside." Coulson said with a hint of smugness in his voice. Garrett had been his friend, and he had to be feeling his betrayal quite sharply indeed. Simmons hoped it didn't go to his head.

Revenge was a dangerous thing.

As she looked at the strange weapon she only hoped it didn't get into the wrong hands, and kill an unsuspecting victim.

* * *

 **Ward POV**

He woke up with a pounding headache, among other things. He reached up to touch his head but felt a strange heaviness in his arm, and yet when he tried to open his eyes, it only made the piercing pain in his head worse. He lowered his arm and tried the other one, which rose as it should with no extra weight. He could feel a bandage around his head, covering the 'soft spot' that was especially painful. He had a memory of smacking his head off something hard at lightning speed but nothing after that. Gradually thoughts came back together, telling him what had happened. Richards. The pod. Falling. Had they been over the ocean? He was fairly certain they had been, but couldn't quite be sure, as they hadn't known where the Bus was being steered.

And the team.

He forced his eyes open at that thought, and despite the stabbing in his head, looked around. He wasn't quite sure where he was but he soon became aware of a gradual, but slight, rocking, signifying they were on the water as opposed to in the air or on land, followed by seeing blurry shapes that vaguely resembled people.

After a few moments his vision cleared, and he saw several lab-coat wearing scientists or doctors, and a whole lot more cots with injured people. He turned his head the other way and his gaze fell on Skye resting in her own cot, her head wrapped up like a mummy. He frowned. She was alive, so he assumed the others were. Before seeing Simmons or Fitz, however, he saw May, who was resting passively against a pillar that helped hold up the room. She was watching him but had not uttered a word or sound until he looked at her.

"Everyone is fine," she said, and then glanced at another cot that Fitz and Simmons were sitting on, poking around at a tablet. They both looked up and around at her voice.

"Oh Ward!" Simmons chirped. "You're finally awake."

He saw her head was similarly wrapped like Skye's. On Fitz, he saw a patch of gauze on his forehead and his arm was bound up in a sling. It seemed everyone had gotten banged up when the pod fell. But how long had it been? And what had happened after that brought them here?

"We managed to fish you out of the ocean after your pod fell. And sank," May added. Sank? Weren't those pods supposed to float? Technology at its finest...

"And this is..." he raised his arm again and then saw a giant plaster on his wrist.. "What the hell?" He grumbled. Then the first thing that came to his mind shot out of his mouth that he otherwise probably wouldn't have said for his own sake. "How am I supposed to kill Garrett like this?" He complained.

Three pairs of eyes all glared at him.

"You have more important things to worry about... like healing," Simmons said.

"How hard did you hit your head?" May said at the same time, ever quick to the draw.

"You should have no problem killing Garrett," Fitz finished with a shrug.

Ward was trying to avoid their glares and so nearly missed what Fitz had said. Then he looked at him, frowning.

"I won't?" His frown broke into a grin. Garrett's lies would come to an end, and he really wanted to be the one to do it. His wrist was starting to ache, though, almost as soon as he had seen it, and it wasn't the good kind of ache. It was the kind that told him he had badly broken bones and that it was going to suck for quite awhile. It just had to be on his trigger hand...

"I promise we will go after Garrett but first, everyone here needs to rest and get their strength. We also have a problem of what the drug they made will do to Garrett and if it will make him... more human... than the rest of us. If you want to call it that."

Coulson. It was always Coulson sneaking up out of nowhere. From the day they first met, Coulson did it. He remembered talking to Agent Hill about Coulson being alive when he was definitely dead, and then Coulson just strolling out of the shadows of the room with that ridiculous smile on his face. Memories like that made up for everything when things went wrong.

"We can't forget that they have Deathlok." Fitz spoke up very helpfully. Deathlok was a factor that was hard to be determined. He was there against his will, but had to follow orders or his son would be killed.

If they could only find his son and save him, then they could also save Deathlok, and eliminate that factor.

"If we find his son then Mike Peterson will come back," Skye mumbled sleepily from where she had just woken up.

* * *

 _I loved that part of episode 1 where Coulson comes out of the shadows... 'welcome to level 7'..._


	11. Strategies

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed. It's always needed...

 **Author's Discussion:** Let me know in the reviews if there are many major errors. I tend to be a bit lazy about proof reading but if something really stands out or doesn't make sense then let me know! I live in the mindset that if I update it quickly then I won't lose my muse! Also I may not update tomorrow (will update Saturday for sure... got lots of stuff going on on fridays!)

* * *

 **Strategies**

When he was given permission to get up and explore the ship, he wandered almost instinctively to what some would consider his best friend. The gym. And more specifically: the punching bag. It mocked him from where it stood, knowing he was severely limited in both motions, strength, and limbs. He had to stop to catch his breath often, although the swelling and infection were finally treated, but sudden movements still sent a searing pain through his chest. Still, he had been off his routine for quite a long time, and it was nagging at his mind to get back on it. So tucking his broken wrist towards his throbbing chest he punched at the bag with moderate force, as anything more only made him hurt more. He fell into a focused ritual, punching, backing up, punching again. He didn't even try to kick, knowing he had no balance if he tried. At one point he had to stop and simply catch his breath, more exhausted than he should be by any rights.

He knew it was all physical reactions from his body, but it still frustrated him that he could barely do anything without pain or exhaustion. For the second time he had to stop, and as he sat down to rest, he saw movement at the other end of the room. His eyes moved over to where Fitz stood, looking rather dejected and miserable with his broken arm. Fitz had been acting strangely since the whole incident and if Ward didn't know any better, it was anger rather than anything else.

"If you want to punch something I won't tell Simmons," Ward offered calmly, as punching stuff was usually his way to calm down when he was angry. Fitz simply sighed, his troubled expression still unchanging.

"How do you do it?" Fitz asked, finally walking over to sit next to Ward, who tried to quiet his breathing.

"Do what?" Ward asked, confused. Punch stuff? Deal with the pain? Deal with being out in the field, in danger, and having to fight his way through everything to avoid dying? There were so many possible things that question could be about that Ward was completely clueless on how to answer.

"How do you deal with lies and betrayal and not let it destroy you?"

Oh. That.

Ward would be lying if he said it wouldn't bother him. Because it did. It was like a stabbing pain in his chest that was completely different from his injury, a hurt that haunted him wherever he went and wouldn't let him be. He wanted to believe that the pain would go away when the source of it was extinguished, but deep down he knew that wasn't the case. That was never the case. But at least it would stop them from hurting anyone else.

"Were you betrayed?" Ward asked quietly. Was there someone Fitz had known that was a traitor of SHIELD?

"No. Well not that I know of. But you and Coulson were. And yet you just keep going like nothing happened. Aren't you angry?" Fitz looked so confused that Ward finally figured it out. Fitz was angry not because of things that had happened to _him_ , but because people had hurt his friends. Because he understood that lies hurt and getting stabbed in the back hurt even worse.

"Of course we're angry. And it hurts when someone you would give your life for betrays you and has been lying to you all the time. But if you let it consume you then you will go crazy. Literally." Ward explained carefully. He was pissed. But he was often pissed about something and he usually hid it well, not wanting people to know what he was feeling. Keeping his feelings under control was something that was extremely important. He didn't have the best scores in espionage since Romanov for nothing. The secret was to show no emotion, and then no one would ever know what was going on or see any weaknesses. "Also, if you keep a straight head then you'll have a better chance of getting revenge later on," he added, much more darkly.

Garrett and Richards. But Richards was a bit of a question mark. A traitor who wasn't quite comfortable in his position of being a traitor. But he was still a liar, no matter what he did to try and act like he was anything else.

Fitz brooded over that for a moment. "I just had to ask. I think I get it now. They also want to see you up on the deck. They're going to be planning the missions and they want your... expertise," Fitz said, looking much less angry than he had coming in and more like his normal self.

Grant jumped up almost as soon as he heard the word mission, and swayed painfully when his breath hitched.

"I'm fine," he said quickly when Fitz's brow furrowed in concern. He waited for the breathlessness to pass before he headed back up to the upper decks with the scientist in tow.

* * *

 **Coulson POV**

Coulson waited for his team, and the other healthy agents from Gonzalez's team to gather on the top deck before beginning. Last to come up were Ward and Fitz, and he immediately noticed that Ward looked sweaty which told him his agent was - for whatever reason - making trips to the gym already. Which was definitely not on the list of 'things he could do' that Simmons had gone over with him. But he ignored it for now. They had other things to discuss and two separate teams to send out.

"We believe that Cybertek is behind controlling the centipede soldiers and Deathlok. We received intel from an asset..." he paused, but didn't mention that said asset was a captured Cybertek guard that they had found stirring up trouble... "of an 'incentives' program."

It disgusted him in many ways the lengths HYDRA and Cybertek would go to force people to work for them who clearly didn't want to. They ruined people's entire lives for the sake of their 'research' into human super soldiers, destroying families in the process. Not only with the super soldiers being forced to murder and do things they didn't want to do, scarring them for lives when they were finally rescued, but many of the workers were also forced by the same program that made Deathlok on Garrett's side.

"The incentives program is set in place so that super soldiers who do not value their own lives will do as they ask. By kidnapping their family members and keeping them trapped in the facility, and threatening to kill them if they disobey, they have full control over these people. I will also add that the majority of people working in this Cybertek division watching from the other end of the video are also part of the incentives program... they do what they must to keep their families safe. So the team that goes in should try not to kill everyone and should make rescuing family members a top priority," Coulson said, looking closely at the gathered agents as he did so.

Several expressions changed from disgust to horror to anger, and various things in between. SHIELD had its problems sometimes but they weren't careless savages.

"Our first strike time will enter the complex, overtake any guards and securities, and release the kidnapped families. One rescued child in particular belongs to Deathlok, formerly known as Mike Peterson. Find a way to send a message to him that his son is safe. Our top priority is to get him back on the good side."

Several people nodded in acknowledgement. Skye looked hopeful that her friend would finally be back to himself.

"A second team, led by myself, will go after Garrett and take him down once and for all. We have tracked the location of the Bus, and believe they probably plan to make one final strike against what's left of information and any resistance. They have 084 weaponry that cannot be underestimated."

Everything from the Fridge - except for what was stored on the secret basement - had been taken.

"Do you all know what you need to do?" He asked. There were silent nods from all around. "We start at dawn." People began to go back their separate ways, but Coulson specifically sought out Ward before he could disappear, before realizing that the agent had been moving to Coulson anyway. Probably wanted to join the mission.

"You will be coming with me, but _only_ as a sniper," Coulson interrupted as Ward started to speak. The agent went silent and waited for him to continue. "Do you think you can fire a rifle?" Coulson asked. He knew Ward could. He'd find a way to do it. He always did. Ward nodded without a thought. "You will provide cover fire and while we draw out Garrett into the open. I want you to fire that weapon into his skull," Coulson's voice went cold. His anger towards Garrett had turned into full on hatred.

"I will do that," Ward responded, his expression also dark. He had as much reason as Coulson to want Garret gone. Probably even more.

"Good," Coulson said, forcibly cheery.

He was getting a disapproving look from Simmons who he knew would give him an earful at taking an injured agent on the mission, but Ward would not be in harm's way. He would be completely outside, far enough that no one would notice him. And if all went well, no one else should get hurt. Of course, going well tended to happen less often than ever lately.

"Get some rest," he told Ward. "And no more punching stuff."

* * *

 _AN: My knowledge of the episodes starting at turn,turn,turn and to the end of the season finale are really limited because I have had no interest in rewatching them. So I pretty much making some stuff up but since it's AU that's fine..._


	12. Show Down Part 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed. It's always needed...

 **Author's Discussion:** Let me know in the reviews if there are many major errors. I tend to be a bit lazy about proof reading but if something really stands out or doesn't make sense then let me know! I live in the mindset that if I update it quickly then I won't lose my muse! About the story: it will 'officially' be completed once season 1 events are settled, but I may from time to time add random missions to it for muse's sake, and because there's not enough ward whump to go around to keep me happy!

* * *

 **Show-Down Part 1**

When Coulson said he wouldn't be anywhere near the danger zone, he really meant it. Ward was lying extremely awkwardly on one side, to avoid increased pressure on his chest which wasn't going to like it, with his body holding the weapon in place, and his only good arm angling the tip with his finger around the trigger. It was extremely uncomfortable and not the most useful position to be in. He wouldn't be able to turn the weapon suddenly if someone were to make a break for it. But it worked. And he could see everything. Unfortunately, everything didn't include Garrett and his team, for although they were definitely in the vicinity, they were nowhere to be sign. He kept his eye on Coulson instead, who was moving in with his own team. His mind kept flashing to Agent Morse's team, who were striking the Cybertek facility as he waited, to rescue all the kidnapped family members and finally put an end to the centipede project. And also stop Deathlok from killing everyone here under their orders. Ward knew if someone he cared about was locked in a room somewhere, and he had to do things for them or they would be killed... or tortured... then he would probably do it, no matter what. And he didn't even have a child.

"Anything, Ward?" Coulson spoke in his ear, and he awkwardly shifted his rifle to scan the area, but saw no signs of movement.

"Nothing," he said.

And then something happened. One moment it was completely empty, and the next, 5 people just appeared. One was Garrett, but he didn't have a clear shot. One was Mike Peterson. And the other three were what had to be super soldiers, whose job was likely to protect their 'Clairvoyent' at all costs. "Nevermind. They're here. To your north. 4 soldiers and 1 Garrett."

He continued watching. Garrett was acting strange - even for him - with this weird smile plastered on his face that made Ward very uneasy. He also looked incredibly healthy for a man of his age, which confirmed all of their suspicions that he had in fact been injected with the drug. It seemed to have a weird side effect, however. In that Garrett was certifiably acting like an insane man, making random motions, weird expressions, and just acting generally odd. A moment later, a sixth player appeared. It was Richards. Ward aimed directly at his face, and saw a troubled expression on his former friend.

 _Finally realized you're working for a madman?_ Ward thought snidely.

Coulson's team was moving to intercept, and they had a variety of weapons. Several of them would inject a drug into a supersoldier that would inhibit their abilities and just make them sleep. Those would take down the three, but Deathlok was mostly machine now, a horrible side effect of working against HYDRA. He would need something that either killed him right on the spot... and saved him completely. He only hoped Morse's team got to it in time.

And suddenly, Garrett was staring directly in the direction that Coulson's team was coming, and Ward frowned because, really, the SHIELD agents were not even visible from where Garrett was. But he knew. Somehow, someway, he knew.

"They know you're here," Ward murmured into the mic, watching and waiting to get a clear shot at Garrett.

"Hold your fire until I say so... unless absolutely necessary," Coulson said, and Ward frowned in disappointment. Coulson likely wanted to talk to Garrett, to get some clue as to why they were here, and what they were planning. And maybe reason with him. But there was no reasoning with Garrett. The man just didn't care for small talk and only ever cared about himself.

Sometimes, following orders was a pain.

* * *

 **Coulson POV**

Coulson looked around the corner of the brick section that separated him from Garrett. Weapons were drawn and at the ready, and he hoped that the serum would work on the super soldiers rather than just make them even more angry and far more deadly.

"Agent Coulson! I'm happy you joined us. I wanted you to see what we were going to do today," Garrett's voice, almost melodically taunting, rose. Coulson instantly was on edge. Something was weird about Garrett, and he wasn't exactly sure what. A moment later, a large section of the brick wall came grumbling down under the super powered fist of the soldiers, and they all moved back and out of the way of the debris. His first sight of Garrett had him confused. Why did he look so... happy? That grin was far too creepy to be on the face of the man he remembered. At the same time, he looked much more healthy than he had the last time they had met.

"So the drug worked," Coulson said calmly. No one had made a move. The soldiers must be under orders to not attack, until Garrett said so.

"Oh, it worked far better than expected. I see everything now. I see what will happen, and what must happen. I see the difference between me and you, and how special certain people are compared to others. And I even see how to bring that out," Garrett's voice sounded light and happy. Coulson tried to keep his face as expressionless as possible.

"Are you sure it didn't just turn your brain to mush?" Coulson asked.

"You don't see it. You never will. But you will one day. You see. In order for the future to come, everything must be taken down, rearranged, and put back together. And some dead weight has to be removed here and there, but it's all for the better."

Coulson shook his head. "You're mad, John," he responded, having no idea what Garrett meant.

"Maybe. But I'm the future," he sounded quite elated to say so.

"Not for much longer," Coulson promised.

Garrett gave him a condescending smile that made him grit his teeth in annoyance.

There was a rush of movement from the three non-Deathlok soldiers, and gunfire cracked. To his relief, they all dropped, asleep, as opposed to dead, as the drug did its work. He looked back at Garrett, whose expression had not changed and did not in any way seem surprised. He must have known about the drugs anyway, having used them before himself while he was stabbing SHIELD in the back. A third man appeared behind Garrett, and this one, Coulson didn't know about, but he seemed strangely harmless and nervous.

There must have been silent communication, because a moment later Deathlok had fired several rounds into the agents _around_ Coulson, dropping them to the floor. May bravely tried to stop him with a hit to the human part of his head, but he tossed her away like nothing, and she bounced off the side of the wall and didn't get up.

"May!" Coulson shouted, taking a step towards her. Garrett closed to the distance and in a massive display of strength, sent Coulson flying backwards with a single punch that knocked the breath out of him.

* * *

 **Ward POV**

Ward deemed the current situations as falling under 'unless absolutely necessary'. Garrett had brought himself out in the open, no longer guarded by men, and he fired the single triangular weapon into the man's head, silently relishing the thought. Garrett jerked, blood trickling, and fell to the ground.

And then Deathlok turned, and despite being practically out of ordinary human eyesight, spotted him.

Ward tried to move, dislodging himself from the weapon and scrambling backward. He vaguely remembered doing something similar when a helicopter was firing at him until it pierced his shoulder. He heard the missile rather than saw it, until it was too late to escape. He had no chance to begin with. A sudden explosion rocked the building, and the roof of the alcove above his head collapsed. He felt pressure on his back and legs before he was squashed against the ground, gasping for breath despite the sudden choking smoke. He tried to writhe free, out of fear of another shot, but the heavy carpentry would not let up, and he had no leverage as it was.

He looked up, expecting another missile to come finish him off, but instead saw only a pile of shingles and roofling materials come and fall over his head. He protected his throbbing skull with his good arm, tucking himself inward as best he could, hoping to hell something terrible wasn't going to happen to his team while he lay immobilized with no way of escape.

* * *

 **Coulson POV**

He was temporarily stunned by the hit, and so he watched Garrett fall from a hole in his head without much comprehension. And then he realized Ward must have fired. It was perfect timing, really. But then Deathlok turned, and somehow, he knew Ward's exact location. Maybe the eye. Maybe something else.

"No!" Coulson shouted, coughing and trying to stand, but it was far too late.

The missile had dead aim, and he watched in horror as the top of the tower - Ward had taken position under the triangular arch that was the roof - exploded and collapsed, most likely with his agent under it.

He called Ward's name, repeatedly, in the coms, but there as only static. That didn't mean anything. He could still be alive. Coms didn't take much before they stopped working, and an explosion could be one of those things. He couldn't allow himself to think of the alternative, or even imagine the look on the team's face when they found out what had happened. It would be all his fault, bringing Ward on this mission when he was so heavily injured.

His attention drew away from the smoking tower to Garrett, who, to his surprise, was rising to his feet. Blood was streaming from his mouth and eyes and he looked rather worse for wear than he had before. There was an angry look on his face as he advanced, very slowly, on Coulson.

"What was that? What did you do to me?" Garrett screamed, then coughed, and paused as he saw the blood.

"Eliminating a threat," Coulson responded.

Garrett didn't take another step, but seemed to be deciding whether or not to have Deathlok blow him to bits where he stood.

And then another voice came. A voice he knew, and felt a crushing wave of relief to hear.

"It looks like you need some help."

He turned to see his friend standing there, with a funny hat on his head and a pair of sunglasses.

"Director Fury," Coulson said, his mouth twitching up in the corners as he caught the shock on Garrett's face when he realized that Fury was very much indeed alive.

* * *

 _AN: So I managed to do it in time! I am not feeling so well lately... hopefully I don't come down with something. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and the beautiful ward whump! 3_


	13. Show Down Part 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed. It's always needed...

 **Author's Discussion:** Let me know in the reviews if there are many major errors. I tend to be a bit lazy about proof reading but if something really stands out or doesn't make sense then let me know! I live in the mindset that if I update it quickly then I won't lose my muse! About the story: it will 'officially' be completed once season 1 events are settled, but I may from time to time add random missions to it for muse's sake, and because there's not enough ward whump to go around to keep me happy!

* * *

 **Show-Down Part 2**

"You're alive?" Garrett, finally, sounded completely unbelieving, staring at Directory Fury as blood continued to drip from his face, and his skin began to turn a worrying shade of orange. Almost like centipede's soldiers before they exploded in the early ages of their experiments. Hopefully that wouldn't happen here. It would take out the entire building. The man behind Garrett that he didn't recognize wore an identical expression but he appeared to be far more uncomfortable than before. Deathlok, as before, wore an expressionless mask. Something he had been wearing on his face since he became a part of HYDRA's centipede program himself, forced to do things he didn't want to do. Coulson assumed if he showed any type of emotion that was not approved of that his son would suffer, and so the poker face remained, no matter what the circumstances.

Coulson risked a glance towards the tower Ward was on, but saw nothing moving more than smoking rubble. His stomach clenched yet again, but he had to keep his mind straight. It seemed Garrett was finally dying, but there was no word on the progress the second team had made at Cybertek. And he wouldn't know until Deathlok decided not blow them up.

"Of course. It will take far more than the delicate forces of HYDRA to take down SHIELD," Fury responded, looking casually at Garrett. "You don't look so good. What do you think, Coulson?" Fury asked smoothly.

"He doesn't look good," Coulson agreed, the corners of his mouth turning up.

"I'm just curious," Fury said, looking back at Garrett. "Why would you betray SHIELD for HYDRA?"

Garrett sneered, looking almost angry when he responded. "I was hit in the field by shrapnel that nearly ripped me in half. And yet, when I called for help, no one came. They gave excuses as to why they could not come. And so I decided that if SHIELD was willing to leave me behind, then I was willing to leave them behind as well," there was blood on his teeth when he smiled. "And look where that got me? The world is changing and it will be led by me!" He suddenly laughed, a maniacal sound that made Coulson rise an eyebrow and he suspected a similar response appearing on Fury's face, if it wasn't hid by his hat and glasses.

"He's a lot crazier than I remember," Fury remarked.

Coulson shrugged. "It happened rather fast."

"Hm."

Garrett looked at them, then down at his hand which was beginning to turn the same shade as his face. "What is this?" He hissed, his anger far more evident.

"The serum will destroy you from within. And the drug." Coulson responded. He didn't have 100% of the knowledge necessary to describe it, as that honour belonged to the designers, but it was the simple version. He swore Garrett's eyes turned a shade of red but it could simply have been a trick of his mind - or just the serum working. But it was weird for that moment.

Garrett turned to Deathlok. Fury shot him, three times, in the head. And Garrett remained standing, alive and well.

"That's not normal," Fury sighed.

"Kill them. I order you to kill them," Garrett snarled.

 _Uh oh._

Deathlok raised his arm, where the mechanized weapons were that he had already used to take down most of Coulson's team. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw May starting to stir, which meant at least she was still alive. Nothing happened. He saw the moment when everything changed and went better. The moment the other team finished their mission.

Mike Peterson returned with a tilt of his head, as if he had seen words before his eyes.

Mike turned, looking at Garrett.

"What are you doing? I ordered you to kill them. If you don't, your son will die!"

"My son is safe," Mike said. He fired the weapon point blank into Garrett, sending the man flying. Coulson glanced away, not quite liking the sight of someone dying, even if they deserved it, when the second shot was fired.

* * *

 **Ward POV**

He coughed as more dust fell in front of his face, almost breathing it into his lungs. He tested movement again, finding the majority of his body was completely pinned on what felt like an ever growing pile. His body was aching, especially his right leg. Fortunately his wound wasn't pinned under a heavy piece of concrete because that would certainly suck. He tried to shift the shingles that had buried him, but each movement only made more fall.

Time ticked by, and he had a sinking feeling that everything had gone wrong. That was the only possible explanation for the fact he was still here, and he heard no sound from his team. That and the coms were down.

Had everyone failed? Everything?

He coughed again at more dust and dirt, closing his eyes and unable to shift into an even slightly more comfortable position. Time ticked. He counted it down, having nothing better to do. There was nothing he could do that could potentially get him out of this situation. Even if his coms were working, if everything had failed that meant the team was likely dead. The thought of failure was something he tried his hardest to keep out of his mind, not wanting to even consider the possibility that they had failed. If they failed, then everything was lost.

He wasn't sure how long he had laid there, trapped, when he suddenly heard something. The sound of something heavy landing nearby. He froze, holding completely still. If anything, it could be Garrett checking to make sure he was dead. And then...

"Ward?" He knew that voice. It was Coulson.

Ward opened his mouth to respond but coughed instead, which he supposed was as good an answer as any. His stiffening body was ready to give out on him and there was a pain in his leg that was gradually increasing at every moment. He was sure nothing was broken but that didn't mean it wouldn't break if things got any heavier.

"Over there," another familiar voice said, but it took him a long moment to recognize it.

Mike Peterson.

That meant it had worked. The missions were both accomplished, and surely Garrett was dead. Right? The serum must have worked for them to be here, and Ace must have been rescued by Morse's team just in time.

And then something shifted and was rolled off of his back and there was a sharp, throbbing pain the instant it was moved. He cringed, shoving at the shingles again and trying to move them away from his face. Someone helped him, and a moment later he could finally see something past the dust and debris. He blinked as something wet trickled into his eye - blood, perhaps? He didn't feel any new pain in his head, and only the dull ache of the already present lump.

"I'm sorry about that," Peterson said, sounding, for the first time in a long time, sincere. And more like himself than the robot they were trying to turn him into. "I had to protect my son."

Ward understood. He would have done exactly the same thing in his situation.

"Yeah I know," he rasped, slowly catching his breath. He jolted in shock as sudden, fresh pain throbbed through his leg when more stuff was lifted, and he couldn't stop himself from hissing through his teeth.

"Are you okay?" Coulson asked, his brow furrowing.

"Considering the circumstances I feel quite well," Ward said, knowing that was the truth. He was sure it could have been much, much worse. Bone-breaking worse. Just feeling a little sore was almost a blessing. Although his leg felt more than a little sore.

As soon as he was able to stand he did, or, he tried to. His leg crumpled beneath him and the rest of his body felt far too weak to support his weight. He growled in annoyance as Coulson instinctively reached out and caught him before he completely hit the ground. His leg was shaking, and pain was pulsing from his ankle to his thigh, fire in his blood. "It isn't broken anyway," he added as an afterthought when Coulson gave him one of 'those' looks. The kind that said 'stop lying about your health to me'.

"We're going back to the site... we need to recover all of the stolen weapons and 0-8-4 relics they took from the Fridge so we can keep them out of dangerous hands. Are you up for that?" He asked.

"Of course," Ward lied, knowing Coulson wouldn't believe him, but not quite caring. They had a job to do.

* * *

 _AN: A little short again but I couldn't think of anything else to put in this without taking away from what is going in the next chapter (the finale). Also... if you guys have ideas or mission topics you want feel free to message them to me when this story is finished and I will consider writing a chapter or two about it._


	14. Aftermath

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Agents of Shield. This is an AU story where Ward is not Hydra and his history is slightly different (no woods, no Buddy, no loyalty to anyone but SHIELD). Starts off near the end of Season 1 when Garrett is taken into custody. Will contain whump, as needed. It's always needed...

 **Author's Discussion:** Let me know in the reviews if there are many major errors. I tend to be a bit lazy about proof reading but if something really stands out or doesn't make sense then let me know! I live in the mindset that if I update it quickly then I won't lose my muse! About the story: it will 'officially' be completed once season 1 events are settled, but I may from time to time add random missions to it for muse's sake, and because there's not enough ward whump to go around to keep me happy!

* * *

 **Aftermath**

Ward slid down the wall outside, too exhausted and sore to keep himself standing, and closed his eyes while additional reinforcements came to sweep the place for the missing weapons and stolen goods. His head had started to pound in rhythm with his heart and as he lay there, the only thing he wanted was to be back on the bus, passed out in his bunk. No med bay, no cot, just his own bunk, in his own bed, with nothing to worry about. Although he could probably fall asleep right here and now, his body felt like it had taken a spin in one of those chicken pluckers, since he was now sore all over. His broken wrist throbbed fiercer than ever but he hadn't taken anything with him for the pain as he had wanted a clear head.

"I'm sorry," a voice spoke, shocking him out of his reverie. His eyes opened to see a bound Richards sitting some ways from him, and wondered if he had been there the whole time? It wasn't like Ward to not be aware of his surroundings but given how sore and tired his body was he at least understood why.

"You're sorry?" Ward echoed, disbelieving. He didn't have the energy to put much force behind his words.

Richards looked at him with an unreadable expression. He looked rather dejected, with his shoulders slumped forward and how he was completely avoiding looking at Garrett's unmoving and still smoking body. Strangely, it hadn't disintegrated as the serum was supposed to do, but he was certainly dead. No one could survive that.

"When I joined SHIELD as a sleeper I never intended to get close to anyone. You know. The rule they teach. Avoid attachments. I didn't expect any to happen as it was, since SHIELD was the enemy. But the longer I was there, the more I realized they were much better people than HYDRA." Ward snorted at that. Why would anyone possibly believe HYDRA was in any way made of up good people? All they did was experiment on kidnapped victims and ruin people's lives for the sake of 'advancement'. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. I never expected this to happen," he added.

Ward glared at him from partially open eyes. Damn, didn't getting beaten up take a lot of out people?

"What did you think was going to happen?" He asked harshly. "That everyone would just shrug and look the other way as HYDRA killed millions of innocent people?" Oh yes, Ward had most certainly heard of what the helicarriers were for, and what Captain America had done to prevent it. He wondered if his entire team would have been on that kill list. Most likely. Since they weren't HYDRA.

"I didn't know about that," Richards growled.

And Ward believed him.

"So if it had been successful... and all those people had been killed.. would you have still helped them?" Ward asked. That was the true question. To see what kind of man former Agent Richards was.

There was a long silence. "You know? I don't think I would. I wanted to save the world... not destroy it."

Ward successfully resisted making a sound of sarcastic humor at that. He must be one of those HYDRA idealists who believed people couldn't be trusted with their own freedoms and should all be controlled under a benevolent dictator, who made everything beautiful and could call rainbows down from the sky at a moment's whim. An idiot with a good intention, in some ways, but an idiot all the less. The only way people would be under control would be if no people existed at all.

"I don't know if you haven't noticed but humans are naturally going to fight against everything people try to do."

Wasn't that the truth?

HYDRA had tried to take down SHIELD with all of its strength and even then, the remains of the organization had pulled itself together, forming a stronger, more dedicated team with one purpose: to stop them. A resurgence; one that had not been defeated. Their work paid off. HYDRA had not won, but he knew it was still out there somewhere, waiting to strike again.

"Yeah I see that. I wanted to say... when we worked together in Paris, those were some of the best times I've had. Maybe one day if things work out and I can redeem myself we can work together again. I think I'd like-" Richards' words cut off with a snap.

Ward's eyes shot open, startled, to see the man who was supposed to be dead, standing over Richards' motionless and now dead body after breaking his neck.

Rage, grief, and shock all warred within him at the same time. Garrett's skin was blistered and severely damaged in many places, and he was even missing parts of him from the blasts he had received by Deathlok. But he was alive. He was still alive.

"Do you ever fucking die?" Ward snarled, trying to stand himself up, but his body had grown extremely stiff from sitting there and wouldn't support him.

"Is that what you want?" Garrett asked, although his voice was extremely unsteady and unfamiliar. The man took an awkward step toward him, punctuated by a a heavy limp. "Coulson was very upset when that tower blew up... he'll be even more upset when he finds you dead for real this time. I'll at least get to enjoy that look on his face," Garrett rasped, coughing as he walked. Blood dripped slowly from his mouth.

Ward reached for the sidegun and lifted it at Garrett, pressing back heavily against the wall.

"Stop walking," Ward threatened, but was already fairly certain his weapon would do nothing if Garrett had been hit twice by close-range missiles, shot multiple times, and injected with the serum that was slowly tearing apart his body. But it was better than doing nothing.

"Soon," Garrett promised.

Ward fired. Most of the clip went directly into Garrett's chest, but when that did nothing but make the man grimace in discomfort, he proceeded to fire the other shots into his knees. Garrett went down, unsteady, but with a determined gleam in his eyes. After a few moments he rose back to his feet again, less steady than before, but still strong enough to keep moving forward. Ward held onto his gun like a club, ready to bash it over Garrett's head as many times as it took for him to go down and stay down.

"Don't you ever learn? You have to cut off the head... and then when that grows back, cut off the next one." Garrett sneered, referencing their opinion on how HYDRA worked. For every leader that went down, a new one came in their place. It was like a termite's nest. Pretty accurate a description, really.

And then, something bright and noisy whizzed past and incinerated Garret on the spot. Literally. One moment he was there, standing not four steps away, and the next, he was gone. Not even a drop of blood was left where he had stood. Ward turned his head to see Coulson standing there with one of the stolen Fridge weapons that he felt he recognized but couldn't quite place.

"Look what I found!" Coulson said, with that grin on his face.

* * *

Several hours later Ward was back on the Bus nursing an added headache, a severely sprained knee and a bruised tibia, and bruising on his back to add to his list of injuries. He was sitting on the bar, which, thankfully, had not been damaged at all, drinking his way through once again. Almost normal.

At one point, Skye came out and joined him, a tired frown etched on her face.

"I can't sleep," she had said.

So she sat next to him and joined him at drinking.

It wasn't long after that Coulson joined them, with the same excuse. And then Fitzsimmons came, surprising them all, since the two scientists rarely ever drank. Lastly, May came, having set the Bus to autopilot, and now the whole team was sitting around the bar, drinking and occasionally discussing things.

Ward was quiet.

He kept thinking about the last things Richards had said before he had been killed. He had wanted to make amends, and rejoin SHIELD, it seemed, and maybe be a part of their team. Ward could have seen that happening, and felt the familiar and unwelcome feeling of grief knotting in his stomach. He drank another class, becoming bleary eyed with tiredness and pain that wasn't physical this time. Richards had been a friend, and a traitor, but still a friend. And now he knew the truth. Richards hadn't been a bad man, other than being a liar. He had only wanted to do good things. Perhaps that was enough to forgive. It wasn't enough to forget. He would never be able to forget the crack of his neck when Garrett broke it. Or the regret in his tone. Or even the many laughs and times they had shared in Paris and in places previous, when they had worked together.

Some things should never be forgotten.

"Hey Robot. Save some for the rest of us," Skye said, grabbing the bottle from him that he had been working through. He frowned at it, and then her, and shook his head.

"That was mine," he grumbled, perhaps the first words he had spoken all night.

A little later, and they put the bottles away. "I can't believe its over," Simmons said with a strong note of relief in her voice. Ward knew she wasn't talking about the drinks, but the entire event of the past week. In a way, he couldn't believe it either. But they had done it. Garrett was dead and although they still had a few other things to work out - like the entire US military being pissed at them and believing they were terrorists - things were almost going back to normal.

Everyone nodded their agreement.

"We did well," Coulson said. "Agent Hand will be briefing us tomorrow. We should probably get some sleep."

Ward groaned at the thought of a mission briefing, and tried to remember everything that had happened. But he couldn't. So he'd sleep on it and figure it out in the morning. But for now, he pushed the memories of Richards away and instead felt relief and happiness that his team was all here, banged up and wounded, but all alive. And that was the most important thing to him.

* * *

 _Fin._

 _AN: Although technically complete, I will add random missions from time to time when muse strikes me. Feel free to recommend ideas that you would like to see written out, but do know I don't really write romance and certainly nothing involving sexual scenes._


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